Growing Up
by Kayley Taylor
Summary: Sequel to A New Beginning. Growing up is a time for discovery, including letting things that you love the most go and preparing yourself for something you may not be ready for.
1. The Morning After

Chapter One

The Morning After

**Wow, sequel time already! I'm so excited to kick off part two! Haha...Thank you all so much for your reviews!** **Sequels are always hard to match to the original, but I'll try my hardest. I think I'll start you off by giving everyone sugar cookies to munch on for your enjoyment for the first chapter (and no, that is not a bribe to leave reviews...haha).**

**Alright, I thought...and I thought...and then I thought again. This is the only way I could think of how to start the sequel.**

**I own nothing except Melissa, Kate, and any other OCs that I mention.**

* * *

Though the closed blinds in her bedroom, Melissa could feel the cool morning air coming through the open window. She had fallen asleep on her side. Her arm by her pillow was cold. What time was it? It didn't matter. She felt too relaxed to even open her eyes. 

Melissa rolled over onto her stomach and nestled in. She had a dream last night that her and Jack went out to a restaurant called Billy's. All these people that she didn't recognize kept talking to Jack. They looked like people that he would know. They sort of looked like fish and they were all crusty looking. Jack kept asking them where Bootstrap was.

Melissa hated dreams like those. They never made any sense! She always wondered what made people dream things like that.

Melissa nestled in against something that was neither her wall nor her sheets. It was soft...like skin. A hand went on her back. Was there someone in her bed with her? Had Jack come to wake her up?

She opened her eyes to see a pair of dark brown eyes looking back at her. Jack saw that he did not have his shirt on, nor did she have any pajamas on.

Melissa started panicking. She sat up quickly and gasped, clinging the sheets to her chest. Next to her side of the bed was a pile of clothes mixed together. It was their's.

Everything came back slowly: how they took each other's clothes off, how she saw the two gunshot marks on his chest, the way he kissed her all over her body, the way he touched her...

They had sex. Melissa couldn't possibly have done that! What was she thinking?! Was she out of her mind? Yes, she wanted to change and be a little more free, but she didn't want to give up her virginity!

"Oh, my gosh..." Melissa said softly. "W-We didn't, did we?"

"Ya were fully conscious and awake, love, ye should remember th' _amazin'_ night that we 'ad last night."

Of course Melissa remembered it. Her only problem was that she wanted to forget it.

_This must be what they mean when they talk about "the morning after",_ Melissa thought. She felt the same sense of what-did-I-do? that she had heard some people talk about. She wanted to crawl under her covers and ask herself why she did it. After she got bored of asking herself that, then maybe she could call Kate and confess what she did.

But, she couldn't do either of those things. She couldn't hide under her covers because Jack was laying right next to her. He had that stupid grin on his face that she wanted to yell at him to wipe off – that same grin that he had used countless times on her. And she couldn't call Kate because she was still with Will in Duluth (and probably sleeping, it was only 8:00, she saw) and because she wasn't sure if she wanted to admit to anyone what she did.

This was not like Melissa to do this! She had never done anything except kiss a boy in her life! Their hands had stayed only in reasonable places.. That is, until last night. Jack's hands had roamed freely, and in return, she had done the same.

"I do remember," she said.

She tried to forget the way she felt whenever his hands caressed somewhere new. Melissa couldn't, though. She told herself she was the one who had initiated things last night. She had no one to blame but herself (if she was going to blame someone, although sex was hardly a blamable thing).

And so out the door went Melissa's promise to herself last night, the promise that she would remain pure until marriage. She had lost her virginity before Kate – Kate! The biggest flirt that she knew! Kate who could get anything with a pout of her full lips and just one look into her emerald green eyes. Melissa was even younger than her by a month!

"Last night...last night was not supposed to happen," she said, sitting at the edge of the bed, looking through their pile of clothes for something to put on.

"Oh, it wasn't, eh?" Jack said.

"Yes! Last night...was a mistake."

Jack propped up onto his elbow. "Really?"

"Yes, really," she said, finding her nightgown, and holding it in her hands.

"'Ow 'bout we 'ave 'nother mistake b'fore ya get up, then?"

Why was Jack implying to have sex again? Did he even pick up that she regretted last night, that it was a mistake, or was all that rum finally settling into his head?

"I'd rather not," she said.

"Not even..." Jack said, sprinkling kisses onto her shoulder, "if I promise to behave myself?"

"No, I'm sure."

"Actually, I behaved myself last night. Ye were the one who was diggin' your nails into my back. So, technically, I will give ye 'nother try if ya behave _yer_self.

"Jack! I do not need you to retell every detail about last night!"

"Persuade me, then."

"What, to stop?"

She turned around to see that both of their faces were but inches apart. His eyes flickered with lust.

"I see ye're not a saint anymore," Jack said. "I told ya so–"

Melissa had no choice but to kiss him to make him stop. "There's your persuasion."

"Not good enough," Jack said, gently pulling her back down onto the bed as she dropped her nightgown back onto the floor. They lay down next to each other, each smiling.

"Mmm, you want more persuasion, do you?" she purred. "That's all the persuasion I have to offer you."

"I'm afraid I'll have t' persuade ya t' persuade me some more, love."

She did not really want to have sex with Jack again, seeing as she had the morning-after regrets still in her.

"Ya know, I'll keep talkin' 'bout last night."

"Then I'll just get up and get dressed."

"Then what's holding ya back?"

"You haven't said anything else last night."

"Well...good girl Mel is havin' some thoughts 'bout Cap'n Jack right now, is she not?"

"It's sort of hard not to when you're right next to me," she said.

"Very un-saintlike thoughts, they are."

"I thought you already said that I wasn't a saint anymore."

"Exactly. It's 'cause ye're not. Now, gettin' back t' last night, after ya–"

Melissa kissed him before he had anymore of a chance to talk about last night. That kiss lead to Jack putting his hands on her back, which lead to even more kisses.

After being having the other persuade the other, Melissa figured that maybe last night wasn't as regrettable as it seemed.


	2. The Beginning Plans

Chapter Two

The Beginning Plans

Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

Kate couldn't help but look down at her ring while she was driving back home that morning. She smiled each time she saw the sparkle catching her eye. She found it hard to believe that she was engaged at just eighteen. That seemed too young, but it was Will! She would never have to worry about searching for The One – he was sitting next to her.

Now, with two hours of driving on a Sunday afternoon, they were free to make their first talks about wedding plans. She had never talked about a wedding with someone before!

"I'd like to be married before you leave for New York," Will said.

"_Before?_" Kate said. "Th-That's in two months!"

"You don't think we can do that?" he asked.

Kate knew that they could do that if they worked hard, but that's all that Kate would be doing for the next two months. Plus, did Kate _want_ to get married in two months? The thought of being married at eighteen was starting to scare her a little bit. They couldn't wait for another year? True, that would be a year apart, which would be extremely difficult for the two of them.

"We'll have to see," she said. "Do you have any ideas as to where you'd want to get married?"

"I've always wanted to get married on a beach, right by the ocean." Will said. "The perfect place for the perfect day."

"I have, too!" she said. "But there are no real beaches in Minnesota. You'd have to go the east coast or west coast, like California or Florida."

"What if we got married in New York? There are beaches there, I'm sure."

Getting married in New York? The idea didn't appeal to Kate.

"You know...I've always kind of wanted to get married when it's warm," she said.

_There_, she thought. _Maybe that will give him the idea that if something makes me happy, like warm weather, he can postpone it for the spring or summer!_

"What about getting married in the Caribbean?"

That really would be a beautiful place to get married! Kate could see it now, them getting married under some palm trees, with a big group of people...Except Will needed a passport, and since it took three months to get one, that idea was also not possible.

"Passports take a long time to get nowadays. You need one to leave the country, and we wouldn't be able to get one in time for you. I'm sorry, Will, but I don't think the Caribbean is a possibility."

"That's fine, it was only a suggestion. Where would you like to get married?"

Where would she want to get married? There were so many places they could be wed! California was always beautiful, and so was Florida. She had wanted to get married in Florida for as long as she could remember.

Florida was perfect! She was sure that it was just like the Caribbean (weather-wise, at least), and there was the ocean, too!

"Florida!" she said.

"Florida?" Will questioned. "Where's that?"

"It's a state by the Caribbean. I'm sure it would remind you very much of it. What do you think?"

Kate guessed that Florida hadn't been admitted into the union until after the eighteenth century, seeing as Will didn't know about it. She prayed that he would think about Florida for their wedding.

"Perhaps we could consider Florida," Will said, a grin playing at his lips.

She smiled and held his hand. "Thank you!"

"So, it's agreed that we'll marry before you go to New York?"

"Um...I don't think we decided that."

"Are you against it, then?" he asked.

She looked at her ring, then bit her lip. "Will, I'm eighteen, you're twenty-two."

"And?" Will said.

"And I understand that you're probably wondering why I'm talking about ages, but remember how I told you that people don't get married until they're older? This isn't the eighteenth century anymore. I mean, yes, my parents got married at twenty-one, but this is different. I just became an adult!"

Will seemed to consider the idea. He then said, "Well, when would you want to get married, otherwise?"

"I've always wanted to be a summer bride," she confessed.

"So you'd rather be in New York without me for a year then marry me when you could?"

She was getting confused now! She didn't want to go for a year without him (she'd see him for the holidays briefly), but she didn't really want to get married in just two months! She knew that it would be easier to just marry him in September than not see him for that long.

"I don't know what I want," she said. "Jack's compass would be nice right now."

Will moved his thumb gently over her hand. "Whatever you want, we can make it," he said. "If you want to get married in September, I'd be thrilled. But if you want to wait until you feel ready, then we can do that, too. I'll wait."

"But that would be awful hard to wait, now wouldn't it?"

"It would...but I don't want to rush you. I suppose I'm feeling a bit strong about marrying you in September because, well...we wouldn't see each other. And it may be a bit unusual to marry at an age besides this, but I know that times have changed."

If they waited, she would have to discuss wedding plans over the internet, which would be difficult, especially with picking out bridesmaid dresses for Melissa. But if they got married right away, she could be regretting this in a few months time. And she was pretty sure that Will didn't believe in divorce, so there would be no going back if she committed.

"I don't intend on waiting for you in New York," she said.

"Oh?" Will said.

"I plan on having you with me," she said, a smile tugging at her lips.

Will smiled, too. "A-Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"I'm sure."

Even as she said that, she was still a bit unsure of her decision. Married at eighteen? It was with Will – a person that she trusted and loved with all of her heart. But there was a small voice in the back of her head that wondered if maybe she was making the wrong decision. The marriage that he was talking about was forever, not a three year Hollywood one. There was no time to make mistakes or second-guess herself now.

He had Kate's trait of being stubborn, although she was more stubborn than he was. She had to wonder what this would lead to down the road for their future.

"Will? Did you ask my father yet?" she asked.

"For your hand? Of course I did."

She was surprised that her father agreed to this. No, surprised seemed to be an understatement. It was more of a shock.

"H-He did?" she stuttered.

"Of course. He said that I had best do it now, if I was ever going to propose."

"He told you that I was moving?"

"No, that's all he said. I suppose he was trying to hint at that...although, I'm not sure."

She was grateful that her father hadn't told Will – she had wanted to do that. Although this was uncharacteristic to actually be kind to a boyfriend of her's.

"Shall we tell Jack and Melissa when we get home?" Will said.

"Of course! Did you tell them, too?"

"No, I haven't yet. I thought you would like the honor of telling Melissa for yourself."

"That's very considerate of you. I would." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Given any thoughts to who your best man will be?"

"I can't believe that I'm possibly considering the idea, but I think Jack is going to be the best man."

_Jack at our wedding as Will's best man, _Kate thought. _What a wedding this will be._


	3. Like It Or Not

Chapter Three

Like It Or Not

Ouch...I got put in a C2 for Mary-Sues! Oh well, right? It makes me appreciate my reviewers all the more.

Thank you to my reviewers!

* * *

Kate's heart was pounding, both with exhilaration and fear as she walked into her home. How would she tell her dad that she got engaged, even though he was already aware? Would he embrace her in a big hug and welcome Will to the family? Ha! That would be the day. The more likely response she was expecting was "Now, you have to invite your cousin, Jamie, even if he does smell too strongly of Burberry cologne."

"I'm scared," she whispered to Will while going up the driveway, each hauling their suitcases.

"What are you nervous about?" Will said. "I have to live with my fiancée's family until the wedding."

He had a point. Kate really had no reason to be nervous. Her dad even approved of Will, even though he had never said it to her face. Things couldn't go that bad, could they?

They went inside the house. Kate took off her shoes in the foyer.

"We're home!" she said.

They went up the stairs, holding hands, and made their way to the living room. Kate looked at both parents, who were on the couch looking back at them. There was an awkward silence until Kate said, "And we're engaged!"

Kate's mom nearly jumped off the couch and hugged her, squeezing the life out of her. "Kate! That's so wonderful!"

"Mom, I can't breathe," she choked out.

"Jordana," Kate's dad said. "It's best that you let go of Kate. For the baby's sake."

"Oh, right!" Kate's mom quickly let go. "I hope I didn't hurt the baby."

Baby? What were they talking about?

"So...when's the wedding date?" her father asked.

"September, right before I leave, we think," Kate said hesitantly, looking at Will for an answer about the baby comments that came from her father. He looked equally confused.

"That'll be plenty of time!" her dad said. "You're, what, two months along? You'll be four at your wedding date, so you'll have to shop for empire waists. Katherine, I am so proud of you for getting married at such a young age. And for the baby! What a selfless thing to do."

Her parents thought they she was pregnant? That must be the only reason her dad was letting her marry Will!

"Baby?" Kate questioned. "There is no baby."

"You...you didn't get your, uh..." He started moving his hands, almost as if Kate was going to say it.

She remembered that Jack ate her birth control pills! And, true, she hadn't gotten her period last month, but that was all because of Jack!

"Dad, I'm not pregnant," she said.

Her father's face hardened. She was glad that looks would kill right now, otherwise Richard Sims would be convicted of a double homicide.

"You're..._not_?" her dad questioned, ice raising in his voice.

"I'm marrying Will because I want to," she said. She took his hand, mainly for support. "I love him."

Her mother looked a bit disappointed, almost as if she wanted a grandchild right that moment. But her father still looked angry.

"William," her dad said, "I permitted you to marry my daughter only because I thought you two were expecting a little bundle of joy!"

"Sir," Will said, his voice trembling just in the slightest. "I would never make love to your daughter outside of marriage. I am a man of honor–"

"Honor, my ass, boy. You lied to me!"

"Mr. Sims, I never said that your daughter was with child. We are simply marrying each other so that we can spend a lifetime together. It's what she and I both want."

The room filled with an icy silence. Her dad exchanged glances from the two of them, then went down the stairs. Kate released Will's hand and followed her dad.

"Tell that boy that this engagement is over," he said.

"Dad, you can't do this!" she said. "I'm marrying him whether you like it or not!"

Both of them went outside to the driveway. At this point, she didn't care who saw them fight.

"You can't count on him! He's, what, a blacksmith at Fort Snelling? He won't be able to support you! And what will he do when his wife has to travel to Paris and pose with male models? What then?"

Kate thought back to when Will forgave her for cheating, something that she was sure no one else would have done, were they in his shoes.

"He's a better man than you give him credit for!"

Kate was sick of sounding like Elizabeth, yet she was given no choice in her situations as of late. She waited for her dad to make a rebuttal.

"Then I wonder what he was doing here while your mother and I were in New York, Kate."

She bit her tongue. Why did her dad have to be so stubborn?!

"And you're too young!" her dad continued. "Eighteen!"

"You and Mom were twenty-one when you got married."

"At least we were adults and knew what we wanted."

"Oh, and I'm not?"

She paused to take a breath.

"Like it or not, Will and I are getting married in two months, with or without your approval. I suppose that if I don't seek your approval, you and I will become estranged. And surely you wouldn't want that from your only child, now would you?"

Her father looked her right in her eyes with a gaze sharper than a butcher's knife. She was getting scared now, but prayed that it wasn't showing.

"Your stubbornness with always be your downfall, Kate."

And with that, her father went back in the house. She sighed and tried not to cry. Why couldn't her dad just approve of Will, the man that she loved?

Visions of just her and a bouquet of flowers she held in her hand while going down the aisle flashed through her mind. Would she really be walking down the aisle by herself? No! Even though she and her dad had their differences, it was a right as a father – and a daughter – to walk down the aisle together.

Whatever her dad liked it or not, she _would_ be getting married to Will, even if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

Jack heard the phone ringing that afternoon. Melissa, sitting on the couch next to him, reached for the phone on the coffee table. 

"Hello?" she said.

There was a pause.

"Okay, okay!" Melissa said, pressing a button.

"Jack, Melissa, can you hear me?" Kate asked, her voice filling the air. Melissa held the phone between the two of them.

"Speaker phone," Melissa explained to Jack.

It was Kate! And why would Kate be calling at 2:00 in the afternoon?

"Katie!" Jack said. "'Ow's it goin'?"

"I'm here, too," Will said. "Hello, Melissa. Good afternoon, Jack."

"Ah, loosen up, lad!" Jack encouraged.

"What are you guys calling for?" Melissa asked.

He could hear the smile in Kate's voice as she said, "Will and I are engaged!"

"Weddings!" he exclaimed. "I love weddings! Drinks all around!"

"Oh, my gosh!" Melissa said. "That's wonderful, you two! Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Will said. "We're quite happy, as well."

"It's glad to see that _some_one's happy for us," Kate muttered.

"Of course!" Melissa eyed Jack. "Right, Jack, aren't we happy for them?"

"Eh...course we are! I can get ya some discounted rum fer the weddin'."

Kate laughed. "I'll try and remember that."

"Jack, they won't want rum, not for _their_ wedding," Melissa said. "They'll want champagne."

"'N' we sell champagne, too," Jack said, a little disappointed that there wouldn't be rum at the wedding.

"Melissa, would you be my maid of honor?" Kate asked.

"Of course," she smiled widely.

There were a few beats of silence. Jack started planning out what kind of alcohol he could get discounted. Champagne, since Melissa said so, and maybe sneak in a little rum to the punch bowl to stir things up...

"Jack, I – I can't believe I'm saying this, but, er..." Will stuttered.

"O' course I'll be yer best man, dear William. I'll make the best best man's speech there e'er was!" He cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are 'ere t'day to join the eunuch and–"

"Jack!" Will said. "You will not make a best man's speech about me being a eunuch!"

"Luckily I have time on my side fer that, mate." He paused. "I will be the best man, right?"

"It's not as if I have much a choice..."

"Ah, don't act so glum, lad. This'll be a fun weddin'!"

"Jack? Could you do me a favor, too?" Kate asked.

"'N' what would that be, love?"

"Please don't ruin my wedding day."


	4. The Way We Are

Chapter Four

They Way We Are 

**Thank you to my reviewers!

* * *

**

Kate was upset: there was no denying that. She had looked angry and sad all day. Most of it was spent outside looking at her laptop or with Will, who would just hold her. Will knew that she was upset about her father – even he was angry at him. Mr. Sims was what everyone wished their father-in-law wouldn't be like. And he thought that Governor Swann could be a bit bossy sometimes – Governor Swann was a walk in the park compared to this future in-law! At least he gave his blessings for the right reason, unlike Mr. Sims. 

How could he think that Kate was with child? She certainly didn't look it. And didn't he know that Will would never try to bed his daughter before they got married? 

Although Kate could be stubborn (it was a miracle that he could convince her to abstain until marriage), that was what Will loved about her. That fire inside of her, that passion for whatever she felt...she would never back down from something she strongly believed in. 

They were now in Kate's bedroom (with the door open, of course). Will had his arms wrapped around her. She was looking down at a book on the floor. 

"I just want him to like you," she whispered. "I don't think he realizes how good of a man you are." She paused. "I also don't think he realizes how many fathers would kill to even have their daughter date someone like you." 

"Well, he has two months. We are getting married in September still, correct?" 

"I think so." 

Kate said "I think so", not "I want nothing more". Will knew that she was really pushing herself to get married in two months time. And maybe eighteen was young to get married now. 

"I only want you to decide what's best for you, Katherine," he said gently. Will kissed the top of her head. "And I'll wait a year for you while you go to New York. Because I know that one day..." He took one of her hands and laced their fingers together. "We'll be together again." 

Kate nestled into his body. He could hardly imagine being torn away from her that long, but if Kate would feel more comfortable doing that, then they were going to. 

"I want to decide what's best for us," she said. "You obviously want to get married in September – and that's not a bad thing. But I'm wondering if maybe September isn't a bit...well, early." 

"Then we won't get married in September. We'll marry in the summer, and we'll go to Florida just like you always wanted." 

Will knew the kind of sacrifice he was making. All he wanted was for Kate to be happy. Will would be happy no matter what, just as long as he got to be with Kate. And if he had to wait a little while for her, then that's what they had to do for them. 

"No," Kate said. She paused. "I want to get married in September." 

"But I thought you just said that you didn't want to." 

She smiled. "You have much to learn about women. We'll say one thing when we really mean the other." 

"Do you mind telling me what you really mean now?" 

"That whether my father likes it or not..." her lips inched closer to his. "We're getting married in September." 

She kissed him softly on the lips. Will could hardly believe that Kate was to be his wife in two months! And this wedding was actually going to happen! 

"Would you happen to have a picture that I could show off at work?" he asked. 

She smiled and got up and searched through her closet. She handed him the picture of her against a rock in a short blue dress, the sunset coming up behind her. 

"I recognize this," he said. "You showed me it the day after we met." 

"Very good memory," she said, nestling back into him. 

"I'm showing this off to all the men at work and say this is my fiancée that I will marry in September." 

She smiled. "And I will show my ring off to all my friends and say that my devastatingly handsome fiancé gave it to me."

* * *

Melissa heard the front door opening and her parents softly talking. Her bedside clock read 10:00. 

"Our weekend alone's o'er, is it?" Jack asked softly, her hand down to her waist, then stopping at her stomach, pulling her closer. 

"I suppose it is," she replied "Such a shame. I enjoyed it." 

She put her hand on top of his, their fingers laced together. 

"That makes two o' us," he murmured. He kissed her bare shoulder. 

"I love you," she said softly. 

"Mmm," he said. This time he landed a kiss on her neck. "Any thought t' 'ouses lately?" 

"It's been a few days since I looked." 

"Well, unless ya want t' start sneaking around, seeing as yer parents get home at 6:00..." 

She rolled over. "Then perhaps we won't be able to as often." 

"What?" Jack's eyes grew wide. 

"Find another way, then." 

"To, eh... 'prove my love' t' ya?" 

"What else could I be talking about?" she said playfully. 

"Uh...layin' in bed t'gether?" 

She giggled. Jack put a hand on her back above the sheets. 

"I'm happy for Kate and Will," she said. 

"Katie and dear William gettin' married..." 

"Kate Turner. Doesn't that just fit right?" 

"Don't get any ideas from this silly li'l weddin' o' theirs." 

"You mean you think I'll start reading bridal magazines and telling you which ring I want?" She laughed. "Of course not. I am perfectly content with you and me..." she kissed him, "the way we are."

* * *

Melissa had a dream that night again. She dreamt again of her and Jack dining out at a restaurant, this time Jack was conversing with a man at the table. The two of them were laughing and drinking alcohol. Jack referred to him as Bootstrap Bill. 

Bootstrap was wearing a suit, very unusual for a restaurant as relaxed as Billy's. There were no fish-like and crusty people this time, just Bootstrap, Jack, and her. 

Melissa woke up shortly after the dream and realized it was nearly time for her to get up. She laid in bed. Did Bootstrap even exist? She'd have to ask Jack. 

Why did she keep having a dream about someone she never even met? 


	5. A Reason To Celebrate

Chapter Five

A Reason To Celebrate

Thank you to my reviewers!

* * *

Melissa adjusted her black beaded bracelet on her wrist while driving to work Monday morning. She glanced over at Jack occasionally, but didn't say much most of the way.

"Black pearl bracelet?" Jack asked, gesturing to her wrist.

Melissa noticed that the beads looked somewhat like pearls, but said, "No. Beads."

"You need a black pearled one."

"I'll get it one day," she said. "Maybe you could go to the mall with me and we could get one together?"

"I am _not_ goin' back there."

"Fine," she said. "I guess I'll just have to go by myself."

Melissa debated whether or not to bring up Bootstrap. It was just a dream after all, it meant nothing. But she would like to hear a dream about a friend that she had, at least. Would Jack feel the same way?

"Um...I had a dream last night," she said.

"Do tell, darlin'," he said, a grin on his face.

"Not about you," she said. "Do you – I mean, was there – were you – "

"Out with it!" Jack said.

"Who's Bootstrap?" she said quickly.

"Well, a bootstrap is a loop at the back of a boot, usually to pull it on–"

"No," she said. "_Who's_ Bootstrap."

"What's it t' ya?"

"I had a dream about him last night. You and me were at a restaurant and he was in a suit. You two were having some drinks and laughing...I don't know. I just thought I'd tell you..."

By Jack's lack of response, Melissa felt stupider with each passing second. Why had she brought it up? Couldn't she just keep silly little things like this to herself?

"Were we drinkin' rum?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. Sure."

"Then thank ya fer sharin' that li'l dream o' yer's."

"You mean you were really friends with him?"

Jack looked at her like she had grown two heads in front of him. "Well, duh."

"It was just a question," she said, slightly offended.

"I told ya th' first day we met that we were mates."

Melissa remembered that Jack did indeed mention Bootstrap while talking about the cursed medallion.

"I mean it," Jack said. "I'm glad ya told me 'bout that dream."

"Why?"

"Because it, um...shows that we have an openness o' communication?"

_Right_, Melissa thought.

* * *

Jack looked across at a bored Dani, who was at her own register. She flipped through a magazine. G. Will Liquors had practically no customers yet, and it was 9:30.

He kept thinking about the dream that Melissa told him about. And why was he in a suit? Bootstrap was pretty hard to picture in a suit.

"Hey," Dani said, closing her magazine. "I'm having a party this Saturday at my house."

"No, thank ya, darlin', I don't do those fancy get-t'gethers," Jack said. "Too stuffy if ye ask me."

"It's not a dress up party. Do I look like the kind of girl that would wear a dress?"

With green-streaked hair and an eyebrow piercing, Dani did not look the part of a typical girl in a dress. Although, Jack was curious what she would like look in a dress.

"No. No, ya don't," Jack said.

"It's not going to be anything big, just a few friends. You can bring a few people, if you want. I'm going to buy some drinks here on Friday."

"Drinks? I'll be there!"

"Mmm, I thought that might persuade you."

"What'll be there? Rum?"

"Sure, there'll be rum, I guess. I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Well, hop to it, woman! I want my rum on Saturday."

"Alright," Dani said, giving Jack a weird look. "It starts at 9:00 at my house – it's off of Camden Ave..."

* * *

After a long photo shoot in hot weather and in heels that pinched Kate's feet like nothing else, she needed to see Will. This was their first time apart since being engaged, and she wanted to see her fiancé! 

Kate parked in the parking lot and stood by her car, waiting to see Will. They were to go to the DMV today to get his permit. Tomorrow she would start teaching him how to drive. Their goal was to get Will to learn to drive before New York – something that was nearly impossible to do, both of them knew. They would designate about an hour each day to driving, and the rest would be wedding planning.

Kate wondered what she was thinking some days. She was getting married at just eighteen, she was going to teach her fiancé to drive, and now she had to plan a wedding in two months time. She was not going to take the stress out on being a bridezilla, though. She wasn't sure how she would handle all this, but she was not about to make poor Melissa suffer!

She saw Will coming up the sidewalk from the building. A wave of ecstasy rushed over as she ran to him and wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him like they had been apart for months, when in reality it wasn't even twelve hours.

_I suppose love can make you do this_, she thought. 

Will laughed when she pulled away. "I missed you, too, my love."

She stood back on the ground and walked to her car with Will. "I'm sorry, I just...I _did_ miss you. I couldn't stop thinking about you today!"

"Nor could I."

"Aren't you sweet? How was your day?"

"Wonderful. Your's?"

"It's perfect now that you're here."

They got in the car. Kate started the engine, then drove out of the parking lot.

"To the DMV?" she asked.

"To the DMV."

* * *

Will had gotten his driver's permit, and they had agreed to start driving tomorrow after work. Will was excited to learn, and Kate was eager to teach. Afterwards, they headed home and had dinner, then retreated downstairs. They sat together on the couch, going through ideas for their wedding – everything they could think of, from color themes to flowers, to location and to the music that would be playing.

They decided to take a break for a few minutes. Kate's head hurt from all the thinking. She set her laptop aside. All this would be for the next two months was wedding talk! She didn't know if she would be able to do that.

, she thought, trying to make herself more ambitious. 

"I haven't asked you about your back lately," she said. "How is it doing?"

"Oh, it feels fine," Will replied.

"Is it alright if I check it?" Kate asked.

"Yes," he said. He took his shirt off, and, much like the first time she cleaned his back, they sat the same way. Kate traced her fingers gently over the raised, white areas, which was probably once a beautiful, beautiful back. It still was a beautiful back, since it belonged to Will. What did he have that she didn't like?

"I think of my father each time you do that," he said.

She pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It's nothing you did. We all leave our marks, Kate. Those are just the ones that my father left."

These were the best that the scars were going to get. She lightly traced a finger on the scars. Will put his shirt back on right as her father was coming down the stairs. Kate felt herself blushing. He eyed Will curiously.

"William, will you give my daughter and I a moment?" he asked.

Will stood up. "Of course, Mr. Sims. I should be going to bed, darling. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She nodded. Her father took a seat by her. She braced herself for the verbal whipping that was probably coming. Did she really need to be reminded everyday until her wedding that her dad did not want her and Will together?

"I, uh..." her father began. "Katherine, you see..."

She patiently looked at her father and waited, the complete opposite of what she was feeling inside. He was looking for just the right words to insult her – she knew it!

He dug something out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was a Visa credit card. She frowned, then looked up at her father's blue gaze.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I'll pay for you wedding," he said. "You and William are going to be buying a house in New York, and..."

_This is your way of apologizing_, she thought. 

She wasn't about to refuse his way of him grudgingly paying for their wedding. She knew that money would be tight with the house, and was grateful for any help, even if it was her father's way of apologizing.

"Does this mean you approve of him?" she asked.

"I just don't want you to make the wrong decision. And if you think Will's The One, who am I to argue? I'm not you."

_Then why did you argue with me yesterday? _she wondered. 

"He is The One," she said confidently.

"Looks like you're making the right decision, then," he said.

Kate hugged her dad tightly, the credit card still in her hand. "Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.


	6. Close Call

Chapter Six

Close Call

**Thank you to my reviewers!**

* * *

After being greeted by Kate, he got into the drivers seat. Kate sat next to him and handed the keys. He had seen her do this before. Just stick the key into the ignition, and turn. He did so. The car started up. 

"Wow. You did it right the first time," Kate said.

"Did what right?" Will asked. He was happy that he did whatever right. Perhaps learning to drive wouldn't be so difficult.

"You started the ignition. It took me a few times. I always thought that was hard to start."

"Blacksmith's hands," Will said.

Out of the corner of his eye, she saw her smile, then quickly got back to business.

"Alright, the right pedal down by your foot is the gas. The left one is the brake. Gently ease into the gas to go faster, and gently ease down on the brake to slow down."

Will nodded and looked out at the empty parking lot. There was nothing he could run into. Why was he so nervous? Was one supposed to feel nervous before they started driving?

"Start whenever you're ready," she said. "Just go straight ahead."

Was he taking that slow, or was that Kate's way of saying that he could do this? He put his pedal on the gas, although what he did hardly qualified as gently. The car sped forward quickly. Will saw that he was going quite quickly toward a large, metal gate.

Kate screamed. "Brake! Brake!"

_Brake...left pedal! _he thought, slamming his foot on the brake. Both of them were thrown forward by the sudden stop. Both were quiet. Will closed his eyes in embarrassment. He opened them to see Kate slowly sat back up. 

"It's okay," she said. "It was your first time."

"I'm sorry...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Just whiplash."

Will wasn't sure if she was joking or not. She looked a bit more apprehensive about having him do more driving, whether that was from the whiplash she claimed to have or just the horrible first time driving.

"I was a bit more concerned about you driving into the gate than you or me getting whiplash, though," she said. "You know what? It's okay. We'll keep trying. How about you put it in reverse?"

Will put the car in reverse. He still didn't know how to use the gas in moderation – it sent both of them forward. He stepped on the brake, sending both of them backward. Kate hit her head on the headrest.

"Ow!" she said. She put a hand on the back of her head.

"Did I hurt you this time?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes," she said in a small voice. "It's alright. It takes a while to learn how to use the gas and brake. Now I know how it feels to be on the receiving end."

Will felt like suggesting that they stop for the day, but Kate was stubborn to have him learn before leaving for New York. She said that everyone should learn how to drive in their life – it's a good learning experience, and you'll never know when you'll need to drive somewhere.

"This time go _gently_, okay, Will?" she said smoothly. He felt grateful that she wasn't angry at him for giving her whiplash and probably giving her a headache. "Gently ease into the brake."

His foot slowly eased into the brake. The car went along on a much more manageable speed than before.

"Good!" she said smiling. "Better! Now how about braking?"

However, this time Will rushed to put his foot on the brake. Both of them lunged forward, although not as drastically as before.

"Better than last time," she said, trying to be an optimist. "We still have our work cut out for us. How about you try turning? Just go slowly and turn the steering wheel."

Will smoothly went forward and started turning. He turned the wheel too hard (he had a harsh tendency to do that). He was probably making Kate's head spin.

"The good news is, we have two months," she said.

"Will that be enough time?"

"I sure hope so."

* * *

After a day of work, Melissa was happy to just relax with Jack. They didn't have the opportunity to have lunch together, since she was working so much, something that was uncommon for her. It made her extra grateful to have some time with Jack. She was lying next to him in their bed, the lights out. Her eyes were getting heavy. 

"We are officially busy this weekend," Jack said.

"Oh really?" Melissa said. She wondered if maybe he was taking her out of town. She said she didn't want to marry him, though! "What exactly are we doing?"

"A party," he said.

"A party? For who?" she asked.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. A party."

She propped herself up on an elbow and looked at him. "Who invited you?"

"Dani. Th' lass at the store with th' funky 'air 'n' the piercin'."

"Oh, her. Yeah, yeah. Did she say what kind of a party?"

"A non-dressy one, t' be precise. A small one. There'll be drinks."

"Jack," she whined, "I don't want to go to a party with alcohol! The cops will catch me for underage drinking!"

"She said it'll be a small one at 'er 'ouse, so, no, ya won't get caught fer drinkin', and I'm pretty sure she doesn't live with 'er parents. And we are going to that party e'en if I 'ave to drag ya, missy!"

"You're forcing me to go to a party with drunks?"

The thought hardly appealed to her. What would she be doing while everyone was getting drunk? Sitting on the couch and chewing celery sticks?

"Once ya 'ave a few drinks yerself, ye'll 'ardly know th' difference," Jack said.

"I'm not getting drunk! I'm eighteen!"

"Yer point?"

"It's illegal, that's my point!"

"Saint."

She hated being called a saint. She swore that he called her that just to make her crazy.

"I told you, I'm not a saint!"

"Exactly. One drink won't 'urt."

"Oh, I wonder who'll be driving us home, then? I don't want to get a DWI."

"A whatey-what?"

"DWI. Driving While Intoxicated. It's against the law to do that, too. Any other laws you want me to break, Jack?"

"That's where a few good friends come in, Mel," Jack said, sitting up. "'Ow would ya like if Kate and Will came, too?"

"But Kate's underage, too! She and I can't be going to a party like this!"

"But what would good ol' Katie do if she 'as a few drunk friends 'n' she's underage 'n' not s'pposed t' be there in th' first place?"

Jack got where he was going with this. Kate and Will were going with them to the party so that Kate could drive them home.

"That's not fair to her to have to drive some drunk friends home, though, even if she wouldn't be drinking. We're not supposed to burden her! You know what? I am not going to that party!" She laid back down and faced the opposite direction, looking at her nightstand.

"I'm sure that Katie wouldn't mind. She wouldn't want to drink, would she?"

"Not if she felt responsible for us," she admitted. "But she's not suppose to be responsible for us! I'm still not going."

"Fine. I'll go. Katie 'n' the eunuch'll come with 'n' we'll 'ave a grand ol' time by our onesies!"

She rolled over to face him. "So you're just going without me?"

"Well, since ye're not expressin' interest in 'avin' a drink with me, yes, I am."

"But I don't want you to go without me!"

"Any particular reason...? Is there something that ya don't trust 'bout Captain Jack Sparrow?"

To be honest, there was. Him and Kate at a party where there would be alcohol...Why was she thinking about that? Jack wouldn't do that again! But there always was the saying "once a cheater, always a cheater." Who knew what they would do this time now that alcohol!

"It's Kate!" she blurted out.

"What about Kate?"

"You're always so friendly to her, and you cheated on her with me! I just think that...do you still like her?"

Through the dark, she could see a weird look that Jack gave her. "What are you talkin' 'bout?"

"Well, you're very friendly toward her!"

"I'm very friendly toward ya, too, darlin'."

"That's different! We're sleeping together. You and her are...you act towards her like she's me!"

"No, I don't," he said slowly. "She's my friend. Maybe I did feel somethin' fer 'er at one point! That's no secret!" He sighed. "What would make ya happy: That I don't talk t' 'er anymore?"

"I feel competition!"

There was a silence, then she heard Jack's hearty laugh. "Competition! Oh, that's funny, Mel."

She hit his arm. "Stop it!"

"Ya 'onestly think that with a fiancé 'n' th' one time that we've talked fer two weeks in person, she's lustin' me?"

"I don't know anymore! I don't even know if I can trust you!"

"Where's all this comin' from? Ya never mentioned this b'fore."

"It started when you cheated on me with Kate! Why couldn't you have just stayed faithful, Jack? It's not that hard!"

She felt the uncontrollable urge to smother him with a pillow. She gripped her pillow in her fists.

"Ye're makin' no sense. Alright – none! Ya think that I still fancy Kate? She's my second mate, when yer me first. 'N' if ye 'pparently can't trust me, then why did ye 'n' I–"

"Because I love you!" she said, close to tears.

_Oh, please! _she thought. _You're going to cry?_

"Ya love me but ya can't trust me? Hmm, interesting what th' kids come up with nowadays."

"And you think of me as a child? I'm eighteen! What am I to you, Jack? Am I just some thing that you can play around with at night?"

"Ye've gone mad!" Jack said. "I haven't seen Kate since our day at the mall with all those fangirls. 'N' no, ye're not just some pleasurable company at night, although that doesn't hurt."

"Then what am I to you?"

"My bonny lass, my beloved, darlin', lover, whatever ya want me t' call ya! I will say this one last time: I see nothin' but an engaged woman that me mate in Katie. Alright? I do not love 'er or lust 'er. She's a mate about t' marry the eunuch – a very stupid move on 'er part."

Silence.

"I am going to that party with you," Melissa said in a low voice. "It's not because I don't trust you."

"I thought ya said ya don't trust me."

"I do trust you when you do the right things. Like now. You proved to me that I can trust you."

"'N' I persuaded ya by adamantly denyin' yer allegations?"

"You persuaded me by telling me the truth. And that," she paused, "makes you a good man."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Are ya done with saying 'ow ya think I'm doin' things with Kate?"

"Um..." Melissa felt a wave of embarrassment go over her. How could she think that Jack still liked Kate? What was she even thinking? Even if Jack would get drunk and try to do something with Kate, she knew she'd put him right in his place.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I am."

"Wonderful. Because I have been waitin' t' do this all day." He kissed her, his hand traveling down her back.

"You're not mad at me?" she asked, breaking away from the kiss.

"I'm amused more than anything," he said. "It's always entertainin' t' see women make a mountain out o' a molehill."

"I am so sorry," she said. "You probably think I'm the most overreactive girl you've ever met."

"No, that belongs t' Giselle. Ya look like 'er, though. Only not as slappish...but you are more of a banshee than she is."

She rolled her eyes. "Remind me why I love you again."

He grinned that same grin as always. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."


	7. Pure Chance

Chapter Seven

Pure Chance

**Sorry it's short...I just needed a filler for the next chapter.**

Thank you to my reviewers (as always)!

* * *

Melissa was still thinking about the argument on Wednesday morning that she and Jack had the night before. Was it even considered an argument? She wasn't sure. More of a much-needed conversation to get her feelings out. At least Jack wasn't mad at her for saying all those things. But he was amused? She didn't expect him to be amused by expressing herself, either.

That's why it was hard not to keep thinking of the conversation/argument last night when Kate was showing her bridesmaids dresses she had found online. It was hard to not think that she didn't lust Jack – she was positive that she wasn't, Jack was right, she was engaged! The argument kept replaying in her head as she showed her the dresses outside by a nearby park under a tree during her lunch break.

"So, we're going back between red and pink," Kate said. "I know pink isn't very Will, but he said that just as long as I was happy. So then I threw out the color red, because I've always liked red roses. But I don't know if red would go well with your skin tone. But I've always liked pink roses, too."

Melissa plucked at a blade of grass. She was bored, but she was growing more terrified about what kind of awful bridesmaid dress that Kate would make her wear.

"Well," she continued, "let me show you a few options that I really like. You do have a say in this, since you'll be my sole bridesmaid."

"S-Sole? Aren't you going to invite one of our friends from school, like Christi?"

"I haven't talked to any of them since graduation. I may ask a cousin or two, but we don't know how big it's going to be. Will wants a smaller wedding, but I want a big one. So, I guess we'll have to see. But tell me what you think of this one."

Kate pulled up a picture of a light pink empire waist that stopped mid calf, then grazed the floor behind her. Melissa loved the dress, it wasn't ugly at all.

"I don't know what you think of high-low hemlines. Here's another one."

She pulled up a picture of another light pink strapless one, with an empire waist, but that one was a cocktail length.

"I like the first one more," she said.

"Me, too. We won't be shopping for them for a while. Will and I don't even know where we're getting married yet!" She laughed.

"What about the church you go to?"

"We were thinking outside in Florida by the beach. We still have to find a location."

"When's it going to be?"

"September, right before I leave. Well, _we_ now. He and I are sure that we can arrange one before then if we work hard."

Melissa lied down on the grass, looking up at the sky. It was too humid to be outside. Summers in Minnesota were always hot – something that her family from Iowa was surprised to hear.

"You really love him, don't you?" Melissa asked.

"Of course." Kate closed her laptop and laid next to her. "So, update me with you and Jack. Anything new?"

Melissa didn't want Kate to know that she had slept with Jack. Kate would probably just laugh it off, thinking that it was a joke. Besides, she didn't need to know, did she?

"No. Hey, speaking of Jack..."

She propped herself up on her elbow. Did she really want to invite her and Will to the party? It was worth a try, at least.

"Jack and I got invited to a party. I don't dare to drive a drunk Jack home, so..."

"I'll be there."

She was surprised that Kate agreed so quickly.

"Y-You will?"

"Of course. This isn't high school anymore. I'm doing what I want. You know I don't care about underage drinking."

Melissa realized she really _was_ overreacting last night about everything. It would just be one night – and she wouldn't have to drink if she didn't want to, right?

"Oh, come on!" Kate said. "You didn't seem so tense before the high school graduation after-party!"

"That's because it was graduating seniors, not some twenty-one-year-olds!"

Kate shrugged. "It'll prep you for all parties in college."

_Loosen up_, Melissa told herself. _Kate's right. You _aren't _in high school anymore. And no one will be asking me about my age. Besides, I could lie. Not that I would be drinking, anyway. Would I?_

"What time should we pick you up?"

"8:45," Melissa said. "Saturday night."

Kate smiled. "You have just given me something to look forward to."

* * *

Will wasn't a citizen, that much Kate knew. He wasn't registered into the government, thus they could not have a wedding. Didn't that qualify as a problem?

Kate knew what she had to do. Just call up the hospital that she was born at and simply say that her fiancé lost his birth certificate and needed a copy of it. But what would she say when they couldn't find him in the system? She'd say that he was born in a house – which was the truth – and he eventually got a birth certificate, but it was burnt down in a fire.

She called up the hospital and an older woman answered. Kate introduced herself, and then asked about getting a copy about a birth certificate for the marriage licence that they would need to sign.

"Oh, here it is, dear," the woman on the phone said. "Mind telling me his full name?"

"William James Turner II, but–"

"That's your fiancé, I'm pretty sure. When's his birthday?"

"January 25."

"1985?"

That would be Will's birthday if he was actually born in 1985. She was convinced that this was the wrong person.

"Yes."

"What were his parents names?"

"William and Mary Turner."

"Yep, it's your fiancé. Now, I'll need fifty dollars to make a copy of this..."

No. She was positive this wasn't right. It was impossible – he wasn't registered with the government! He had time traveled and was here for a month and a half! She thanked whatever god was helping her, then said, "Can I go over there tomorrow and pick it up? I'm a bit short for time today."

"Oh, of course, dear! Just swing by the hospital whenever you can. Third floor, alright?"

Kate nodded mutely, then realized she was still on the phone. "Oh. Um, yes. Third floor. Of course."

She hung up. What was going on? Was Beckett behind this? He had government experience, didn't he. He had to be behind this! That was the only somewhat reasonable explanation!

Confused and shocked, she drummed her fingers absently against the phone she held in her hands. Maybe this wedding really was supposed to happen, after all.


	8. Loosen Up

Chapter Eight

Loosen Up

Thank you to my reviewers!

* * *

Saturday night was here. Everyone went to Dani's house in Kate's car. The four of them pulled up at 9:00 and parked down the street, then walked to her house. Jack ran up to the doorbell.

"I want t' press it!" he said.

"Then press it," Will sighed.

With a smile on his face, Jack rang the doorbell. After a few moments, Dani appeared and opened the door. Melissa could hear a dance song playing from the inside.

"Oh, glad to see you could make it, Jack," Dani said. "Come on in!"

The four of them stepped into the foyer. She noticed that about fifteen or so people were upstairs, dancing and talking, but a few were going down the stairs to the basement, probably for a bit more privacy. She wondered if there was more people down there.

"Dani, this is William, Katie, and Mel," Jack introduced them.

"Nice to meet you guys," Dani said. "Now–"

The doorbell rang.

"I should be getting that. But have lots of fun!" Dani smiled before getting the door.

"Can we go upstairs?" Melissa asked.

"Fine choice, love," Jack said, taking her hand and walking up the stairs with her. She looked behind her and saw that Will was behind them, along with Kate.

Melissa felt a little nervous to be around all these people. She didn't know why she felt this way. She had been to parties before! She concluded that she was feeling like this because of her age. Everyone around her was older than her by three or four years.

_This is what college parties will be like_, she thought to herself. _Get used to it. They won't be any tamer._

Jack led her to the kitchen. She saw Kate and Will sit together on a couch.

"Ye're tense," Jack said. "Ya need t' loosen up."

She remembered he used those words before he gave her a massage. She wanted to go back to that night and relive when she was finally breaking a mold of her's.

Melissa had a feeling she'd be doing that tonight, as well.

"I'm not tense," she fibbed.

"Liar. It shows on yer face. _Everythin'_ shows on that pretty li'l face o' yer's."

She saw an array of different kind of drinks on the counter, most of them untouched. Jack took a new bottle of Captain Morgan's from the selection, grabbed a nearby permanent marker, crossed out "Morgan's" and instead wrote "Jack's."

Melissa laughed. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Quite," he said. Jack grabbed a red cup and filled it up about three quarters of the way, then handed it to her.

"I won't drink all of that!" she said. "I don't have the same liver as you!"

"More for me, then." Jack took a drink from the bottle.

"I think that people were planning on drinking that, too."

"Guess they're not anymore."

Something about the atmosphere made her loosen up. She raised the red cup to her lips and took a drink of the rum. As it went down, it burned her throat and lungs. She swallowed quickly and started coughing. Jack pounded her back.

"What _is_ this?" she said.

"Captain Jack's." He showed her the bottle.

"It's disgusting! How do you drink this?"

"Uh...how do I _not_ drink it, darlin'?"

"Oh, I forgot: you're Captain Jack Sparrow."

He pointed a finger at her. "Right ye are."

Melissa didn't want any more of the rum. It was too disgusting. She handed it to Jack. "More for you is right."

He refused to take it, putting his spare hand up. "I'll bet ya can't drink all that."

"Of course I can't!"

"If ya finish all o' that by th' time we leave, I'll get ye a present."

"No, you won't," she said.

"I'll go t' the mall with ya 'n' find ye a black pearled necklace."

It was worth doing. It would be fun for them to go out to a mall again – plus, she'd get a necklace out of the deal.

"How do I know you'll keep to your promise?" she asked.

He held his hand out. "We'll shake on it."

She shook his hand.

"Drink up. Ya got a lot t' do."

Melissa looked at her cup. There was no way that she would get through all of it. She'd probably pass out before she had the chance to drink it all! Reluctantly, she started drinking her rum again. The same burning feeling went down her throat and into her lungs.

She didn't care that she was underage. She didn't really care that this drink was disgusting and would probably have a hangover tomorrow. For once, Melissa Rose Lewes didn't care.

* * *

Kate and Will were dancing to "Summer Love," or so Kate called it. Reluctantly, Will had agreed to get up and dance after spending a long time talking to Kate. He was not used to this kind of a setting, although, once he thought about it, it wasn't unlike Tortuga, from what he remembered it to be. There were no whores, of course, but it was people just having a good time.

Once Will had started dancing with Kate, he got to loosen up a little. Kate had a big smile on her face while she made it clear that she had spent time dancing ever since she could walk.

"Aren't you glad we came here?" she asked over the loud music. "This is fun!"

Will had to admit, this was beginning to be fun. Everyone else seemed to be having fun, so there was no reason that he shouldn't, as well.

"Yes!" Will said.

Behind Kate, he could see Melissa holding a red cup and Jack holding a rum bottle, both of them going down the stairs. Melissa looked like she was having some difficulties walking. He guessed that she had a drink or two, but decided not to draw attention to them.

"Tomorrow, I thought that we could look online for wedding locations," Kate said. "Is that fine?"

"Of course!" Will smiled. "But can you really tell the right place through pictures?"

"I can," she said. "You'll just know. It's sort of like meeting The One."

Kate had a sparkle in her eye as she said that. And, in the middle of the dance floor, he kissed her, dipping her down. Will actually wanted people wanted people to see. He wanted them to know how in love the two of them were.

She smiled. "I assume you return the feelings, then?"

"I always have and always will, my love."

* * *

After dancing for a while longer, Kate saw Dani walk up the stairs. Dani looked a little surprised about something, but went right to the stereo and changed the CD. 

"September 15!" Will blurted out.

Kate frowned in confusion. "What about September 15?"

"The wedding!" he said. "Marry me September 15?"

That was the week before that Kate was planning to leave for New York. That would give them the maximum time to get ready for the wedding.

"I think we're the only people that could talk about our wedding at a place like this!" she said over Maroon 5. She laughed in spite of herself. "Of course I'll marry you September 15!" She gave him a peck on the lips, her arms around his neck.

"Boo!" Melissa said, interrupting the two of them. Melissa nearly doubled up in laughter. Over what was so funny, Kate wasn't so sure. Her blue eyes looked out of focus, and her usually neatly-tied blue halter top looked like it had just been loosely tied again. Her straightened blonde hair was slightly messy.

"Are you alright?" Kate asked her friend about her un-Melissa-like presence.

"I've never been better!" she slurred. "And I am _so_ close to gettin' that necklace. Look!" Melissa thrust her cup at Kate. It was a quarter filled with an amber colored liquid. Whatever it was, it was affecting her.

"Are you drunk?" Kate asked.

"This is my first drink of the night," she said. "I'm not drunk!"

She looked at Will, concerned. She had never seen Melissa drunk. No one at the party seemed drunk – well, not nearly as drunk as Melissa.

"Melissa, where's Jack?" Will asked.

"I dunno, we were just–" She started laughing again.

"Why don't you and I go outside?" Will asked Melissa. "You need some air."

"I'm fine!" she protested.

"Will, let me take her outside," Kate said.

"No, I know what to do. I'll find you if things get out of hand." Will went to the kitchen and got a bottle of water, then took Melissa gently by the shoulder. "We'll be out in the front yard."

She saw her friend stagger down the stairs. The first person – and only, as far as she was concerned – she could think of responsible for a drunk Melissa was Jack. She glanced around the living room, but didn't find him. He wasn't in the kitchen, either. She went downstairs and found him coming up the stairs.

"You!" she said, pointing a finger at him. "Have you _seen_ Melissa lately?"

"What's it t' ya?" he responded, sounding slightly drunk himself. Then again, he always sounded drunk.

She eyed the nearly empty bottle in his hand, then met his eyes. "She's drunk!"

"Did she win yet?"

"Win? Win what?"

"Uh..." Jack's eyes looked away, then connected with her's again. "Nothin'."

She took the bottle from his hands. "You gave her _rum_?"

"Which she took willin'ly!" he protested.

She stepped aside to let a couple move past them. She grabbed his hand and led him downstairs. They stood in the small living room, which held several people at the time.

"How much did she drink?" she asked.

"'Bout three quarters o' one o' those cups."

"That's hard liquor, you idiot! She shouldn't be having that much!"

Kate was angry at Jack for letting her get like this. If he supposedly cared about her, then he wouldn't be letting her drink that much! Any good boyfriend would tell them their limit.

"Well, she should've thought 'bout that b'fore she accepted my offer."

"Your offer?"

"Where's Mel?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Outside, Will's taking her out for a breath of fresh air. _You _should be doing that, but no! You don't even keep an eye on her!"

"Well, seeing as it's just ye 'n' me..." A hand went on her waist and trailed down while his lips moved closer to his.

She slapped him and yanked his hand away from where it rested oh-so comfortably on her butt. "You arrogant son of a bitch! You try hitting on me while your _loyal _girlfriend is outside trying to sober up."

She wanted to smash the bottle against his head, watch him drop to the floor, and just leave him there. Kate looked at the bottle. "Morgan's" was crossed out in front of "Captain" only to be replaced with "Jack's."

"You're an idiot," she said, thrusting the bottle back at him, and going up the stairs.

* * *

Will was in the front yard with Melissa. He knew sobering up would not happen until they went back home, then it was Jack's problem. He half wanted for Melissa to pass out, just so that it would be easier for every one. 

"Will, I'm fine!" Melissa said, yanking her arm away from him.

"Melissa, you're not," Will said. "You're clearly very drunk."

"At least I'm...fun!" she said. "And I'm so close to gettin' that necklace, too!"

Will knew that by talking to her, she would be distracted to not keep drinking. "What necklace?"

"Well, Jack said that if I drank my cup of rum, he'd get me a necklace with black pearls."

"Really?" Will said.

_Of course_, he thought. _Sounds something like what he'd do._

"Yeah. He'd take to the mall and everything!"

"Say, Melissa, can I see that for a moment?" he asked, gesturing to her cup.

"Oh, yeah! You can help me. Quick, drink it, Jack won't know the difference." She handed him the cup.

Will dumped the rest of the rum onto the grass and crushed the cup. Melissa gasped. "I wanted you to help me! Now he'll never get me it!"

"I did help you," Will said. "It's for your own good." He uncapped the water bottle. "Drink this."

"Will..." Melissa said, lying down on the grass on her back. "I'm dizzy."

Will put her on her side just in case if she vomitted. She knew that she could choke, otherwise. After those years in the shop with Mr. Brown, Will was finally putting his knowledge to use.

"Can I go home?" she asked in a small voice.

"I think that's a very good idea," Will said, handing her the water bottle. She held it limply between her hands. "Just a moment. I need to get Jack and Kate. Stay there."

_Although I'm not sure that you _could_ go anywhere_, Will added silently. 

He went back into the house and went down the stairs, only to run into Kate, who looked angrier than she had seen her in quite some time.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly concerned.

"Nothing. Is something wrong with Melissa?"

"She asked if we could go home," Will said. "I think we should."

Kate went back down the stairs. He followed her.

"Jack, get up here!" she snapped at him. "We're going!"

* * *

Jack and Melissa had been dropped off at their house. He had to carry Melissa inside, who fell asleep in the car ride over. He set her down on the bed and looked at her. Her blonde hair was sticking to her sweaty face. Her face was facing where Jack usually slept. He knew that she'd be out for the night.

He crawled into bed next to her. He didn't feel sorry for getting her drunk. She had wanted to do this, and, as much as he hated to sound like The Whelp, she had to face the consequences of her actions.

Then again, he encouraged her to have a sip of rum by telling her that if she could drink all of that, he'd buy her a necklace. Which was true, he really would have. It was also a good way for her to loosen up. But, he had a feeling that feeling sick was not a good way to loosen up.

He brushed the strands of hair sticking to her face. Tomorrow would not be a very pretty sight.

* * *

"Well, that night didn't go according to plan," Kate said, while washing her face in the bathroom to Will, who was beside her. By the time they got home, it was past midnight. 

"Do you know what she meant by getting a necklace?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Do you?"

"Yes. Well, you see..."

Kate splashed her face with cold water, then dried her face off with a washcloth.

"Jack bet her that if she could drink her entire cup of rum, he'd buy her a black pearled necklace."

Kate rolled her eyes. Typical Jack. It made her even angrier than she already was at him.

"And she actually wants this necklace?"

"Apparently, if she's willing to be drinking that much rum for it."

"That poor, confused girl," she said, letting her hair down from the clip that she put up while washing her face. "Hey, um, I know that it's not really any of our business or anything like that, but do you think that they've...you know, done It yet?"

Jack led Melissa into the laundry room and closed the door, Melissa laughing. They set their drinks on top of the washer. Jack untied the thin, silky strings of her halter top.

"Melissa is a very nice girl," Will said.

Melissa quickly unbuttoned his shirt. She was getting good at doing that, even with a drink in her system.

"Nice doesn't mean pure," she said.

Jack backed her up against the cool dryer. Melissa giggled and kissed him. Tingles went through her body as he pressed her closer to him. One hand was on her upper back, and one on her lower back. In return, she pulled him closer to her, her nails digging lightly into his skin. Melissa loved when their bodies were this close. Nothing separated them.

She kissed his neck, then her lips trailed down to his shoulder, then to his chest.

"I know," he said. "I wouldn't expect it of her."

The laundry room was too hot to bear. The house didn't have air conditioning. Their bodies were starting to stick together.

"But this _is_ Jack she's with," she said.

Melissa let out a cry of pleasure, her back arched against the dryer.

"I don't think she would do that," Will said. "She doesn't seem the type."

The door opened, and in walked Dani. Her amber brown eyes looked at the two of them, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"I'm so sorry," Dani said, quickly closing the door.

"But her shirt...it looked like she just retied it – drunk. I remember it was all tidy before we went inside."

Melissa quickly put on her bermuda shorts. She quickly retied her top, fumbling over the strings. She didn't realize how hard it was to tie these things once she had a little to drink.

"Maybe she was dancing downstairs," Will said.

Melissa couldn't help but laugh like a fool. They had just been caught! Why wasn't she embarrassed? She took another sip of the rum. She only had a little more to go before the necklace.

Jack was taking too long to get dressed. She wasn't going to wait for him.

"No, I was down there with Jack, there wasn't any music."

They left the laundry room, Melissa going upstairs. She'd have to find where Kate and Will were.

"I suppose it's not really our business," he said.

"But she's my best friend! I'd expect her to tell me that something like this happened, but not to tell me every single detail." She sighed. "Maybe she didn't. We do trust each other enough that we'd tell..."

"Then don't worry about it." Will kissed her. "I think it's time for both of us to get a good night's sleep."

"Mmm," she agreed, going to her room. She turned around. "Goodnight."

He smiled. "Goodnight, my love."


	9. Hangovers

Chapter Nine

Hangovers

Thank you to my reviewers!

* * *

At around 10:30 the next morning, Jack heard the phone ringing. He was upstairs, having some breakfast, whereas Melissa hadn't made a noise yet. She was pretty sure she was going to be out for some time more, although 10:30 was too late for her to finally be waking up. Her parents had gone out to church, and were due back any minute.

Ironic.

He picked up the white phone from the kitchen. The caller ID said Richard Sims. It must be Kate.

_'Ere's 'nother lecture_, he thought. 

"'Ello?" Jack answered.

A few beats of silence past.

"Jack?" Kate asked. "How's Melissa's first hangover doing?"

"Still in bed. I'll tell 'er ya called, though, seeing as ye obviously don't want t' talk t' me."

"No! Wait!" Kate said quickly.

"Ah, so it is that ya want t' talk t' me, but ye'll do so by screamin' at me like a banshee."

"You got her drunk so you could get her a _necklace_? What were you thinking?!"

"I was trying t' get 'er t' loosen up!" he said defensivly.

"Well, that's fine and all, I want her to loosen up, too, but was getting her drunk over a necklace worth it?"

"Well, duh!"

Honestly, were these women clueless? The only way that Melissa would want to loosen up was if she tried it once – and if Jack had to bribe her, then so be it.

"And to add _more_ fuel to the fire, you were hitting on me last night! I have a fiancé, are you that stupid that you don't even see _that_?"

"Well, I thought that maybe yer still interested in me. Yer making a 'uge mistake by marryin' Th' Whelp!"

"You arrogant son of a bitch!" she yelled at him, so much that he had to pull the phone away from his ear. "I do not like you – or lust you, so don't start that, either – and I am _not_ making a mistake!"

"Ya know what, Katie?" Jack stepped outside to the deck to a cloudy sky so he didn't wake Melissa. "Ye're not much better. Alright? Ye're a spoiled, li'l brat!"

The other line was silent. Neither were going to apologize. Jack sure wasn't going to, and the spoiled brat on the other line didn't seem like she was going to, either.

"Prove me wrong," Kate said.

Before Jack could reply back, he heard the other line click. Kate was gone.

She was such a brat! Jack felt like taking the phone and throwing it against the house. And by her saying "prove me wrong", he knew what she meant: prove her wrong about being an arrogant son of a bitch.

AKA, take care of Melissa while she fights off a hangover.

* * *

Melissa woke up the next morning to a pounding headache. The birds were chirping too loudly near her open window today, like they were right in her ear. She didn't even feel like burying her head into her pillow, almost as if that itself was too much work.

She remembered that she drank some of Jack's rum last night – about three quarters of a cup, to be exact. The last thing that she remembered before things got foggy was that she went downstairs with Jack.

Now that she knew what a hangover felt like, she vowed never to drink again – or in moderation, at least. How did Jack do it? It hurt! It was like the devil was pounding at her head!

Jack peeked his head in her door. She saw Jack cringe slightly. She didn't want to know how awful she looked. All she could feel was that her clothes were the ones that she wore last night, even though they felt different.

"I look awful, don't I?" she said softly, closing her eyes.

"Eh..." she heard the door open, then he closed it loudly.

"Must you be so loud?!" she demanded.

"I shut it gently! Quiet, ya banshee. Yer parents are comin' 'ome now."

Melissa groaned. She didn't need her parents to see her working off a hangover. Maybe they wouldn't check on her. She prayed that would be the case.

"I'll know that this is worth something if I at least won," she said.

"Oh, the necklace?" Jack said. "Ya were close. Ya quit right b'fore, though. Said ya wanted t' go 'ome."

She opened her eyes. Jack took up a chair by her bedside. He had caused her to feel this way! Why should she even give him the benefit of talking to him?

"I hate you," she muttered.

"Ouch," he said. "Ya loosened up, though. Ya did what ya set out t' do."

"Loosened up?" she repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"Well..."

She sat up and felt a wave of nausea come over her. She put her head on her propped up knees.

_Isn't there something you can take for these? _she thought. _What is it they always advertise on TV to get rid of hangovers?_

"We made wild, uninhibited love in th' laundry room," Jack said.

She felt her heart sink down to her stomach. She felt nauseous all over again. They couldn't have done that – not in the laundry room in Dani's house at the party!

"We _what_?" she demanded. "No, I remember when we hook up, Jack!"

"Well, ya didn't remember this one, I guess! But Dani kind o' walked in..."

The blood running through her veins turned to ice. She slowly focused her bloodshot eyes on him, the man that ravished her last night, but was unable to remember such.

"She did not!" she hissed.

"Ya found it funny, actually. Started laughin' 'n' everythin'–"

"Jack! Stop it!" She felt a lump in her throat. How could someone have caught them? Why did she even agree to have sex with Jack in a laundry room? He took advantage of her while she was drunk!

"Oh, but Th' Whelp was nice enough t' take ya outside," Jack offered.

"And what were you doing? Putting your clothes back on?"

"Uh...I think I was, actually."

Melissa was not having a good day. She had a horrible hangover, and now she found out that she had sex in the laundry room, _and_ Dani walked in on it!

"I hate you!" she said, balling her hands up into fists. "You didn't even make sure I was okay! You only got me drunk to have sex with me!"

"No, ya got yerself drunk so ya could learn t' loosen up. Really, ya 'ave no one t' blame but yerself."

"You're lying to me! I have you to blame, too! You don't even care about me! Am I just some girl to warm your bed for you?"

Her headache was getting worse now. She felt like her head was going to explode. She was trying not to cry while yelling at Jack about why he didn't really care about her, which, with how she was feeling right now, could go on for quite some time.

"No!" Jack said. "We, uh...I watch musicals fer ya...'n' I go t' the mall with ya 'n' put up with fangirls."

She sighed. "Jack...I want to trust you, but you make it so hard for me to do that. I mean, you took advantage of me when I was drunk, and you don't even check if I'm alright! See, Will – now, that's a good person right there. He's not even my boyfriend and he helped me!"

"Well, then if ya think that Will's so much better than me, go t' 'im. Go!"

"I don't think he's better than you...he's just a little better at looking out for people."

"So ye're sayin' I'm selfish?"

Melissa didn't want to have this conversation, not when she felt as horrible as she did. They were too far in to stop now, though.

"I just wish that you'd look out for me is all," she said. "That's what a boyfriend does...they don't have to be told that. And if you claim to love me like you do, then you'll just do it."

Jack hadn't told her that he loved her ever since her first time. She, on the other hand, said it to him everyday. Maybe he thought one time said it all.

"Well, I persuaded ya not t' break up with me b'fore, I told ya when ya were burnin' th' 'ouse down, I tell ya when ya need a li'l more fun in yer life–"

"Alright, I get it!" she interrupted. "You do love me. Just show it a little more. Okay?"

"Sure..." Jack said. "Now lay back down. Ya look like 'ell itself spat ya back out."

She lied back down and closed her eyes. "Because that's just the thing I want to hear."

"'Onesty 'n' communication," he grinned. "Can't go wrong if ya 'ave those things, love."

* * *

Kate put a few sugar cookies on a plate and put it between her and Will. It was starting to rain outside now; she was grateful for that so she could concentrate on working. They were now looking at places in Florida for their wedding. It seemed so surreal to Kate that she was actually looking at places to get married!

"What are these?" Will asked, picking up a freshly baked cookie.

"Sugar cookies," Kate replied. "Or, as I like to think of them as, brain food. We'll need them." She brought up a search engine. "Now, what do you think of getting married at a hotel? On the beach of course, but it'd be easier for all of our guests, so they wouldn't have trouble finding the wedding location and the afterparty."

"That would be doable," he said.

"Somewhere nice, though. Posh."

After multiple sites and many cookies, Kate was beginning to think they wouldn't find a place. They came across a site that was located about thirty minutes north of Miami in a city called Sunny Isles Beach.

"A Trump..." Kate mused, clicking on it. They browsed through the photo gallery of a sunset wedding on the beach. Immediately, she knew that's where they were meant to be married. It was too beautiful not to!

The aisle was sprinkled with rose petals, and candles lit the aisle. White chairs filled the beach in organized rows. There was a sophisticated tiki-like altar, along with some palm leaves and roses.

"I think this is the right place," Will said softly.

Kate smiled. "You think so?"

"U-Unless you think differently. I'd marry you anywhere!"

_Too sweet! _she thought. 

"No, I love it," she said. "But this is a huge gamble. What if it looks different in person?"

"Then it looks different. But it's the ocean, Kate. How much different can the ocean look?"

"You're right," she admitted. "But are you sure this is where you want us to get married?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

* * *

In the mid-afternoon, Melissa got out of bed for the first time. She went upstairs and made some tea, hoping that would get rid of the rest of her headache. She did a few fake coughs in front of her parents just as a cover-up. Once downstairs and in her room by herself, she picked up her light green stickered phone from the charger and dialed Kate's number. She needed to talk to a friend right now.

"Hello?" Kate said on the other hand.

"Please tell me I didn't act like a complete fool last night," Melissa muttered in embarrassment. She put her mug on her night stand. The steam rose up from the mug like the steam that must have been coming from herself this morning while talking to Jack.

"You weren't that bad," she said. "Jack's the one that acted like a fool."

Grateful for the embarrassment spotlight to be off of her, she said, "Really? How?"

"Just that...he wasn't keeping tabs on you."

Melissa felt about Jack just how she felt about him this morning again. Rage started bubbling inside of her, but kept her voice steady.

"What else?" Melissa asked.

"Will took you outside for a breath of fresh air. That's when you said that you wanted to go home."

Even as Kate retold her about last night, she couldn't remember it. Was she really that drunk? She felt grateful that Will was there to help her. If he and Kate hadn't been there, things would have been disastrous. She probably would have gotten a DWI, and maybe even killed someone!

"Tell Will I say thank you," Melissa mumbled. She was so embarrassed! She was being taken care of like a child and was probably the most drunk person there!

"I will."

While the two girls exchanged silences, Melissa took a sip of her tea. She didn't know what to say after talking about getting drunk last night.

"Melissa, I've got to talk to you."

She put her mug back on the night stand. "I'm listening."

"It's about Jack."

For the second time that day, the blood in her veins ran cold, despite it being summertime.

"I wouldn't say this if I didn't really mean it, but I don't think you two are right for each other. I mean, he doesn't even look after you!"

"We talked about it this morning."

Melissa found it harder to keep her tone calmer. True, she knew that Kate wouldn't say it unless it concerned her, but this wasn't her business. Melissa needed to make her own decisions sometimes.

"I've said that I love him, and he does look out for me."

"But does _he_ love _you_?"

Melissa pursed her lips together. "Yes."

Silence.

"Melissa, the guy's an idiot! You two clash too much, you're total opposites! You need someone with stability, not a guy who will encourage you to get smashed at a party."

"Jack is _not_ an idiot!" she hissed.

Silence.

"I just don't want your heart to get broken, is all," Kate said. "You are my friend, and I care so, so much for you. And I know that you deserve better."

"If you really wanted what was best for me, you'd want me to be happy."

Kate sighed. "I do want your happiness...But I want you to be happy in the long run, too."

"I am happy with him," Melissa said. "And I know that I will be happy in the long run."

She wasn't angry with her friend, she wasn't even frustrated. She knew that Kate really was looking out for her, and she knew that Jack loved her, too; he just showed it in an unorthodox way.

"Then I hope that you will be happy," Kate said before hanging up.


	10. Plans

Chapter Ten

Plans

**Sorry it's so short. Next chapter will be longer!**

* * *

Jack walked into G. Will Liquors Monday morning, dreading to face Dani. He didn't want to know what she was going to say about his and Melissa's rendevous in the laundry room. He remained quiet until Dani finally said something, which was a few moments after he arrived. 

"I scrubbed the dryer," Dani said.

"Ah," Jack said. "Good fer ye, then."

"I haven't been able to go in there ever since then. My parents have done all the laundry."

"Ya mean ya still live with yer parents?"

"Yes, I'm practically broke. But this isn't about my financial state of being. How rude can you be to just _have sex_ in the laundry room?!"

"It was Mel's fault!" he said, using Melissa as scapegoat. "She was drunk and had her urges."

"Bull–"

Billy looked at the two of them, putting his repricing aside, and give both of them a wary glance.

"Bull trout!" Dani said. "Yep, that's what I caught this weekend fishing!"

Billy gave her once last unconvinced look before going back to repricing.

"Bullshit! You are a drunken pervert!" she mouthed

"Ya know," Jack said, "I really don't care whether or not ya caught th' bull trout or not. That's fe ye 'n' yer li'l fishie to discuss, eh?"

* * *

Kate had tried to remember Melissa's nature through the resentment that she felt towards her now. She was always forgiving, which could work in some cases, like when they got into arguments – Melissa would always forgive her. But it could work against her, too, like her arrogant boyfriend named Jack. If Will ever did that – which Kate knew he wouldn't – she'd have him out the door faster than he could apologize. 

Melissa was young and naive. She was ever the optimist and refused to see the bad side in people. That was advantageous for Kate when she was having a stubborn moment, but that could also work against her, yet again leading to Jack. She was stupid enough to not see that things wouldn't work between the two of them. Plus, Melissa was naive enough to just forgive him, even if she knew full well that he got her drunk to _buy her a necklace_.

Kate was frustrated at her friend, there was no hiding that. But, they had been friends for twelve years. And just to end it over a guy (even if she didn't fully approve) was too high school. This was not how they were going to end things! (Not that Kate was going to end them).

After Will's driving lesson (he was learning fast, she guessed that tomorrow they could go on the cul-de-sac), they went home. Kate hadn't relaxed all day, since she had her Monday photo shoot and was talking to staff over the phone at the hotel that she and Will were going to get married at. Apparently, September 15 had a 6:30 sunset wedding available, just like they had discussed the day before. She realized that planning a wedding over the phone was not going to be easy and probably required making more cookies and screaming into pillows more than she would like.

Kate was at her laptop; she had been ever since they came home. It was now nearly close to dinner.

"You're working too hard," Will said, lying down next to her on her bedroom floor.

"I am not," she said. "I've hardly worked on the wedding today."

"It's been an hour, though."

"That's not very long."

"You're frowning. You always do that when you concentrate too hard."

"Workaholic," she said, not looking up from the list of marriage officiants in the Miami area.

Will kissed her, his hand snaking to the back of her neck. She pulled away shortly after with a smile on her face.

"You are distracting me!" she teased. "We have so much to get done."

"Why don't you stop for a while? You deserve it."

It took her nearly no time at all to cave in. She closed her laptop and set it off to the side. "I thought you'd never ask."

She rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling. "Any thoughts as for what you'd like to do in New York? Profession-wise, I mean."

"They wouldn't happen to have a place similar to Fort Snelling? I enjoy working there."

"I'm not sure. We'd have to do some looking around when we go there for houses. What's your plan B?"

Will sighed. "I don't know yet."

She played with a lock of his dark, curly hair. "What about photography? I remember you took that picture of the ducklings. And you're very precise about how things are executed. You have a great eye for detail, too."

"I never thought about photography," he murmured, reaching for the camera on top of her dresser. He turned it on and aimed the lens at her.

"What are you doing?" she laughed, sitting up.

"Practicing plan B. Now, put your chin up a little..." Will gently re-angled her chin so that it was more level. "And look at your closet...then at me, like I was just a person walking by."

"But we're in my bedroom, how many people could be walking by?"

"Pretend it's me," he said.

Will took a few pictures of Kate, each with different poses. When he gave her permission to look, she was surprised at how good they were – Will had a wonderful eye for pictures. He came up with classic poses, yet when in a black and white setting like it was, he could turn them into works of art.

"Are they – are they fine?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Kate said, for lack of a better word. "They're just great."

"Then perhaps – just to prepare myself in case I do need a plan B – you and I could do photography some more?"

She smiled and rested the camera on the bed. "I'd love to."

* * *

The day went by slowly for Melissa. Business at the vet's office was per usual. Thoughts of college started to run through her mind. Mandatory orientation was scheduled for her for August 1 and 2. She wondered when she should start getting ready. College at the University of Minnesota didn't start until mid-September – late for most schools. 

When she wasn't thinking of college, she was probably thinking about the talk that she and Kate had on Sunday. She was a little hurt that she didn't like Jack – was it because of the past the two of them had, or was he, in Kate's mind, really a bad boyfriend?

Either Melissa was too blind to see, or Kate was wrong. She saw nothing wrong with Jack. True, he could be a bit, well, himself sometimes, like getting her drunk, but most of the time, he was a great person to be around. He was different than any other of the guys she had dated before. Rightfully so, since he was her first and they were thinking of moving in together (by themselves, that is).

_She's wrong_, Melissa thought. _Jack and I are going to make it._


	11. A Week of a Wedding

Chapter Eleven

A Week of a Wedding

I found out that At World's End comes out on my birthday! Happiness :D

Thank you to my reviewers!

Oh, and sorry if this sort of seems like a filler chapter. It's because it kind of is...haha.

* * *

Kate hadn't actually been inside Fort Snelling for more than five years. The last time she was here was when she was on a field trip in seventh grade for history class. She never really cared for this place. She never liked history. She found herself wanting to actually go inside now that Will worked there, but she never actually did go in.

Now, with her chestnut brown hair tucked inside an ebony newsboy cap, knee-length shorts, and a denim vest over a white t-shirt, she knew today was the day. If she did her math right, this would be Will's last group of visitors for the day. She shuffled into the group of visitors, which appeared to be a group from summer school. She shop was small and stuffy. How did Will work like this?

He explained what a blacksmith did, which Kate already knew. He then demonstrated how to make a nail. He sculpted one in front of the group, probably just for show.

_Show off_, she thought, a smirk appearing on her lips as the children showed great interest in it. 

"Alright, does anyone have any questions?" he asked the group.

"Why do you have an Australian accent?" one boy asked.

"What's Australia?" Will asked.

"Try English, dear," the group leader said.

"Why do you have an_ English_ accent?" the boy asked. "Is it real?"

There was a slight pause before Will said, "Yes, I was born in England. Any other questions?"

Kate saw two girls elbow each other, appearing to be thirteen or fourteen. Finally, one with brown hair gave in.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" the brunette asked.

"And what is a 'girlfriend', miss?" Will asked.

"Now, Crystal," the group leader said, "this is the nineteenth century in Fort Snelling. The blacksmith is not familiar with our language."

The brunette known as Crystal sighed. "Do you have a lover?"

This resulted as a laugh from the group. She had never thought of herself as Will's lover. Had she even said that word in her life? For some reason, she was about to burst with laughter.

"I have something better – a fiancée," Will said, a smile playing at his lips. "Due to be married in September."

"Now, isn't that romantic, children?" the group leader said. "We have to hurry off, otherwise we'll miss our bus. But what do you say to the blacksmith?"

"Thank you," the group said, monotonously, leaving the shop. Kate stayed behind, waiting for Will to notice her. He was cleaning up his workspace, softly singing a song to himself. After a few moments, he looked up and frowned. "Your group–"

She let her hair down from the hat, laughing lightly. "You were asked by a thirteen year old whether or not you were single. What _has_ the world come to, Will?"

Will smiled. "Kate! You came here! What a surprise."

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" She walked over to him and greeted him with a kiss. He lifted her onto the counter, her legs wrapped around his waist. They were now eye level.

"I missed you," she murmured. "I was so busy with planning the wedding, which made me think of you..." She placed a hand gently on his cheek.

"Sixty days," he said softly, his lips but an inch from her's.

She had a strong desire to continue kissing him. Was it really just sixty days when they'd be married? It's was already July 17!

"Sixty days until we're man and wife." He laced his fingers through her's, both of their hands raised.

Sixty days until she would become Kate Turner. Sixty days until she would be walking down the aisle to Will.

Sixty days would not get here soon enough.

* * *

Kate ripped off another page of her page-a-day calender. She had never been so eager to separate a piece of paper from a glue binding before. Each page she crumpled up signified that she was one day closer to being Will's, now and forever. 

July 18. Fifty-nine more days.

The two of them had figured out that they would be leaving for Florida September 12. The rehearsal dinner would be September 13, then the wedding would be on the fifteenth. The color changed last minute was green: both thought it would go better with the palm trees. Jacuqes, the photographer that Kate worked with often, agreed to do their wedding pictures.

"Alright," she said, when they were out in the living room. She put in her James Blunt CD and went to You're Beautiful. "This is what I think our first dance is going to be at the reception. After all, it's our song. And it's the first song you and I danced to."

"And the song where we first kissed," he said, pulling her to him.

"Many firsts with this one," she said.

Will held her close, his hand on the small of her back. Her hand was on his shoulder. She wanted to keep dancing with him until the end of time. She really loved Will, more than anyone that she had ever loved before. She felt so different around him.

"And Aerosmith," Kate said. "What about I Don't Want to Miss a Thing? I love that song."

"Then we'll have it played. Whatever you want." He kissed her forehead.

"And Michael Buble, definitely. I was thinking of How Sweet It Is for the cake-cutting."

Will gave her a smile that said "Whatever makes you happy." Kate couldn't help but smile, too.

"And even though some might think it's going to be a curse, but I think This I Swear would be perfect for the last song."

Will frowned. "Why would it be curse?"

He had yet to learn about the Jessica and Nick breakup. She decided not to talk about a divorce while they were in the process of planning a wedding.

"Never mind."

* * *

It was nearly noon on Thursday afternoon. Business was picking up pace now. It got rarer for her to sit down and just think – it seemed like the bosses always kept her busy doing something. The phone rang; Melissa picked it up while printing out a record for one of the animals. 

"Elm Creek Animal Hospital, this is Melissa," she said.

"It's me," Kate said. "How are you?"

"Oh." Melissa was a little surprised. So Kate wasn't mad at her? "I-I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm stressed out and need to talk to you." It sounded like Kate plopped herself down on a couch. "Say something funny?"

"Something funny," Melissa said, handing the printed record to one of the vets. She sat down on her chair.

Kate let out a small laugh. "Don't make me do it anymore!"

"Is planning a wedding really that hectic?"

"It wouldn't be if I didn't have two month's time! God, Mel, I'm being driven to insanity doing this! It's nuts!"

Melissa felt sorry for her. She knew that it had to be pretty bad – Kate was one to handle stress very well.

"And I'm guessing you called me to _not_ talk about what's causing your stress?" Melissa asked.

"I was actually calling you so I could schedule more stress in my life. Tell me your schedule."

"My schedule? Why?"

"Bridesmaid dress shopping. What's the closest weekend you have available?"

Melissa pulled up the calender on the computer. She always was one to be organized, after all. "I'm going to 'Live Free Or Die Hard' with Jack this weekend."

"But that's a guy movie," Kate said. "You hate action and blood."

"I know. I told him that if he took me to 'Hairspray' next weekend, I'd take him to 'Live Free Or Die Hard' this weekend. So that cancels out the twenty-first and the twenty-eighth."

"Hairspray – I knew you'd love that. It's a musical. But I'm looking at houses online with Will this weekend," Kate said. "We're scheduling showings, so this weekend wouldn't work. What about August 4? Oh, wait, we're going to New York that weekend. Never mind. Tell me about August 11."

Melissa was getting confused with all the dates that Kate was throwing at her. She was never this discombobulated.

"What about Sundays?" Melissa asked.

"I like to take a day off, just so that I don't _completely _lose it."

"You're not losing it." She picked up a pencil and drummed it against the gray-colored counter, then looked at the calender. "Yeah, August 11 is fine."

"Ah, so we're waiting three and a half weeks for this."

"It's fine," Melissa said. "You'll be so busy, the time will just fly by!"

Truth be told, from what Kate showed her, she wasn't scared to try on the bridesmaid dresses. That was proof alone that she hadn't completely gone crazy yet: when Kate's sense of style went (which was yet to happen), all hope was lost.

"Don't remind me," groaned Kate.

"What about your wedding dress?" she asked, trying to cheer her up. "Maybe you can break a Sunday rule? It'd be fun!"

"No. No, I don't think it would."

"Okay, then." Melissa backed off.

"Can we do both dresses the same day?" Kate said in a small voice.

"If that works for you."

"Oh, and, um, by the way?"

"Yes?"

"We changed the color theme to green."

Melissa stopped drumming the pencil against the counter in horror. "Green? I look like a rotten celery stick in green!"

"You do not!"

"You said that you like a popsicle in yellow!"

"I think that green looks beautiful on you. Hardly anyone can pull it off. Please? I'll wear whatever God-awful dress you want me to wear when you get married."

"The dress you showed me wasn't awful. But I'll wear it, anyway; I just won't like the green. But you won't suffer on my wedding day. I'm not that mean."

Kate scoffed. "And I am?"

At the expense of seeing a bridezilla in Kate, Melissa said, "No."

* * *

The minute that she turned off her laptop Friday afternoon, Kate let a wave of relief wash over her. Two days of no wedding planning. Now it was house hunting! Well, they would at least schedule the showings. She had spent a while today buying tickets to New York for August 3-5. In just two weeks, they'd be out east, looking for a home of their own. 

Could she be in the fast lane anymore than she was already? She was moving out of state at eighteen with her fiancé – fiancé! – for her modeling career. And probably by the time that they arrived at the house that would be theirs in New York, they'd be married.

Kate wasn't necessarily planning her life to go this, but she wasn't exactly expecting to stay in Minnesota her whole life, either. She had told herself that whatever came her way, she would be willing to take that path. And, now that her life was changing, she wasn't going to fight it. It was just another adventure for her to take – something she couldn't resist.

For just two days, she could stop looking at all those wedding sights and trade those in for real estate sites, something she had wanted to do all week.


	12. Epiphany

Chapter Twelve

Epiphany

* * *

Melissa was woken up by Jack singing Fergalicious from the living room on Saturday morning. He was not singing quietly, nor did he sound that wonderful. She did not want to start her morning listening to Jack sing._Wait, _she thought upon hearing the lyrics. _That's not Fergalicious. He twisted the lyrics so it's Jackalicious!_

Melissa quickly staggered out of bed and found Jack at the computer, now blaring the background music and singing along.

"Jackalicious definition make them girls go looney / They want my treasures so they get their pleasures from my movie–"

"Jack!" she said over the music. "Please turn it down!"

"Good. Yer awake." Jack paused the song. "What d' ya think? Jackalicious – now, I could put that on the radio. I said I'd learn it!"

"But you didn't even get the words right," she said.

"Love, it's Jackalicious. It doesn't 'ave t' be th' same."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "What time is it?"

"10:00."

"What?" Melissa looked at the clock on top of the TV. Yes, it did read 10:00. She never slept that late, only when she was sick.

"I got up b'fore ye – uncommon."

"Well, if I was tired, why did you wake me up?"

"'Cause we go t' Live Free or Die 'Ard t'day!"

That started at 1:20. It was now 10:00. Was he drunk?

"We have three hours before we have to leave," she said.

"Good, I have three hours to practice Jackalicious. Want t' 'ear th' rest o' it?"

This is not how Melissa especially wanted to start her morning. The one day she had gotten to sleep in after a few days of fatigue, Jack wakes her up by singing his version of Fergalicious – Jackalicious, now. That was not really the question she wanted to hear from him.

"No, thank you. Um, my parents didn't hear you, did they?"

"They left fer th' grocery store 'bout fifteen minutes ago. I started ten."

"Oh."

When Melissa didn't reply, he started playing the song again, including singing along to his own lyrics.

"Ya can see me / ya can't –"

"Jack!" she whined. "I don't want to hear it. Please?"

"Then don't listen," he said, matter-of-factly.

She sighed, then walked to her room, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

At around noon on Saturday, Kate and Will sat down to look at houses together in the dining room for the first time. She typed in a web address to a realty site.

"Alright...New York, New York," she smiled. "Three bedrooms and two bathrooms?"

"We'd have two sets of guests over at a time?" Will asked. "That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about guests," she said. "I was thinking about kids."

She was actually talking about kids! Their kids, that one day would fill up a home of their's!

"Just so they could have their own bedrooms," she continued. "It's typical nowadays to have each sibling in their own room. How many children would you want?"

"Ten," Will said with a straight face.

Kate laughed, then when a confused look came upon Will's face, she stopped. "Do I have to remind you that I'm the one who has to give labor?"

"I've always wanted a large family, though. Haven't you?"

"A family, yes, not ten, though. I was thinking two kids."

"But, uh...what if we don't produce a male?"

"Then the Turner name won't go on. But women can inherit, too." She looked back at the screen, then back at Will. "Or would you want a starter home with only two bedrooms and see where it takes us?"

"But that won't be enough room for our children."

Kate realized that he wanted kids – now. She leaned back and looked him in the eye. "I'm eighteen."

"Yes, I know. And I'm twenty-two. It's about time we start a family. I'm ready for one. I'd love to come home to a family each night. And we could decorate the nursery a pirate theme!"

How could she tell him that she didn't want a family now when he so obviously did? She couldn't imagine in just a year's time walking around with a swollen stomach.

"Will, what I'm trying to say is I'm eighteen: I'm not ready. I have my whole life ahead of me. Why try to rush it? Plus with my job, I could be called away at any time to go work in Paris for a week or Los Angeles for a month. That could be when our child says their first words! And I don't want to miss that." She paused to collect her thoughts. "I was thinking of waiting."

Will looked a little disappointed, but nodded. "How long were you thinking of waiting? Because I can manage a year, two years if we must."

"I was thinking more along the lines of eight or ten," she said quietly. She felt horrible letting him down like that. He looked sad, but tried not to let it show by looking away.

"I'm sorry, Will," she said softly. "I just couldn't manage raising a child right now. And with the job I have, I wouldn't be able to be there for them like I need to. I hope you understand."

"No, I do...it's just...never mind."

"What?"

"I just wish you would reconsider having a child. It's life's greatest blessing, and you want to wait eight years to experience it?"

"I don't want a child, though! Taking care of one is a lot of work, and I'm not ready for that challenge yet. Someday, when I've matured and you've waited, we'll have one. But I still have a lot of growing up to do. And if we wait eight years, you're going to realize how much that changed us. I'm going to be more responsible, and you'll be able to appreciate it even more since we waited."

There was a cold silence of disagreement between them now. She hated to tell him that she wasn't ready, but she wasn't going to have a child now!

"That's all going to change once you do have one," Will said, trying to convince her. "You won't be able to imagine your life without them."

Kate bit her tongue and tried to be diplomatic about this instead of wanting to be the spoiled brat that she was and insist that she get her way.

"Will, it's in our best interest we wait. I'm just not ready. I may be ready sooner, but do you think it's wise that you insist on having children when the would-be mother's not yet ready?"

"I'm not insisting, I'm simply trying to show you my side," he said. "If it's dependability with me that you're concerned about–"

"Of course not," she said. "I know you'd make a wonderful father."

"And you'd make a wonderful mother."

She tried not to let him take her on the guilt trip. Kate was getting more frustrated, though.

"We're obviously not agreeing here," she said. "I want two, you want ten. You want them now, I want them later. When you have kids, you're waving goodbye to freedom and saying hello to responsibility."

She knew that as soon as she mentioned that, she had said the wrong thing. She couldn't correct it now, though.

"Our disagreements come down to freedom again," Will said. "It's always what you want."

"I mean, I love kids," she said, trying to backpedal. "They're just not right for us right now."

"No, they're not right for _you_ right now."

She knew he was right. Kate didn't want to fight, though. Will seemed to be ready to address some things to her, though – things she would not want to hear.

"Why do you always have to have freedom, Kate? Why can't you just for once listen and do what someone tells you?"

"So you're threatening me to have children?"

"Of course I'm not! Everything comes down to freedom for you? If something doesn't give you freedom, you right away don't like it."

"It's because I'm eighteen! I graduated high school two months ago, I need time to realize what I want."

"Then how do you know that we should get married?"

She was going to loose Will because they didn't see eye to eye on having children? She couldn't loose him! Kate loved him!

"Because I love you," her voice cracked, blinking back tears. "And I can't imagine living in an apartment by myself in New York without you. Hell, when I think of five years from now, I think of you and me. That's all I've thought of ever since the day I met you. That's how I know!"

She stormed off right before she felt the first tear drop from her eyes. She slammed her bedroom door shut and leaned against it, crying. She slowly sank down, hunched over, her back heaving with each sob.

Kate didn't want them to be over. He accepted her stubbornness and fiery attitude. Will took her back when she made a mistake and when no one else would have. How could she afford to loose a person like that?

She didn't want them to be over just because they didn't agree with kids. It was one of the most vital things in an engagement and marriage, though. If a couple didn't agree with kids, then they were bound to be over. Kate didn't want them to end it this way.

"Kate..." Will said gently through her door. "Can we talk?"

"I'd rather not." She wiped her eyes and locked the doorknob. She sniffled and stood up and found her cell phone. She flipped it open and looked through the address book and found Beckett's office. She pressed the "call" button.

"I'm sorry for making you angry, but I'm not apologizing for wanting children," Will said. "Perhaps if we could just talk about this–"

"We _did_ just talk about this," she replied.

"Hello, you've reached the office of Dr. Cutler Beckett," the recording said. "Please leave your name, number, and brief message, and I will return your call at my earliest convenience. Have a pleasant day."

The machine beeped. She tried to steady her voice and stop the sniffling.

"Hi, Beckett. It's me. Kate Sims. I'm assuming you remember me. I was the one who called you a sadist, a pansy, and a priss. Anyway, I need your help again. I'm coming in Tuesday morning without an appointment. It's just a quick question. I'll talk to you then. Bye."

She hung up and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Katherine, you didn't just call Beckett, did you?" Will asked through the door.

* * *

"Live Free Or Die Hard" was the best movie out of the three that he had seen. It was better than "Moulin Rouge!" or "Chicago." This one had explosions and fights – something that he thought all movies needed. Plus, it had no singing, which, in his eyes, was a Godsend.

There were a few gunshots. Melissa covered her eyes. It was obvious that she didn't like this movie. She never did strike him as the kind of girl who liked blood and action. He felt sorry for her each time she whimpered when there was a gunshot or blood, then having to quickly cover her eyes.

If there was ever a moment for Captain Jack Sparrow to have an epiphany with a girl, this was it.

Melissa loved him enough to sit through a movie like this and not demand to leave (he figured that she had to love him very much to do so). And Jack had to have some sort of strange feeling beside lust for a woman. There was something called infatuation where one felt intense passion for someone. Jack thought that maybe that's what he felt towards Melissa.

Jack could never love a woman. Could he? He had no problem sharing a bed with a girl for a night. He would not get up and leave right away, either, but he wouldn't promise her the moon and the stars, either. But with Melissa it was a little different. He wanted her to nestle into him and never leave his side. Could that be infatuation?

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Their eyes met briefly, then she closed her eyes again so she wouldn't have to see the fight scenes.

There was something that Tia Dalma had talked about while he got his jar of dirt. Davy Jones had fallen in love with a woman – or was it the sea? Regardless, love was Jones's downfall, and Jack didn't want to make it his.

But, Jack began to wonder if love was something more that what Tia had talked about. Did it really exist other than that hocus-pocus voodoo love potion she could probably concoct?

"No!" a small Jack on his left shoulder said. "It's infatuation. Ya know that love doesn't exist! Not with ye, anyways, mate."

"Don't listen t' 'im, mate," the small Jack sitting on top of Melissa's head said. "There is a possibility o' love – just open yer 'eart!"

"Oh, shut yer mouth, Romeo!" the Jack on his left shoulder said. "Jones fell in love 'n' 'e cut 'is 'eart out fer it! Now, ya don't want that t' 'appen, do ya, mate?"

Little Jack On The Left had a point. Jack didn't want to cut his heart out if he fell in love. That would be rather painful – nor would he want to captain the Dutchman. Not that either of those things would happen if he indeed ever did fall in love.

"Look at what Melissa's doin' fer ya!" Little Jack Sitting On Melissa said. "She's watchin' this bloody film fer ya! Isn't that love?"

"Just because she loves ya doesn't mean that ya love 'er back!" Little Jack On The Left held up a finger.

"But ya watched musicals fer 'er! Ya already said ya love 'er more than rum, anyways. Why not just say it again?"

The last time Jack said that was right before he deflowered Melissa. He half said it because he lusted her, and that was the only way that she would agree to make wild, uninhibited love to him. At the same time, he was becoming infatuated with her.

Bottom line: did he mean it that time? No. Would he mean it now if she were to make him say it again? Possibly.

The fight scene was over, and a man started a monologue. Jack looked over at the little Jack on his shoulder.

"'Cause 'e said it t' bed 'er!"

Jack was really hoping that Melissa couldn't hear these Little Jack's. What were they, anyway? Were they a creative metaphor that his brain used to symbolize the good and not-so-good in him, or was he going mad?

"Jack..." Little Jack Sitting On Melissa said. "That's not very nice."

"Oh, just shut up!" Jack said. He realized he said loud enough that a few surrounding people could hear. The Jacks disappeared as quickly as they came. Melissa looked up and frowned.

_Bugger_, he thought. 

"I agree!" the man behind him said. "Get to the action!"

A few people in the theater expressed their agreement.

"Ye agree with them, love?" Jack asked Melissa, trying to make it seem like he was talking about the movie.

She sighed, even though this was probably the most tolerable part so far. "I suppose."


	13. Temptation is Sweet

Chapter Thirteen

Temptation is Sweeter

Ha...that sort of sounds like the name of a perfume. And so did Epiphany. LOL

Alright, as most of you may know, there was a bridge (specifically 35-W) that collapsed on Friday evening in Minneapolis. I live half an hour away from there. Just thought I'd mention it, since I know a few people are from around/used to live here.

Thank you to my reviewers!

* * *

Will wanted children.

He did not want to wait the ten years that Kate wanted them. Eight to ten years?! That was too long! Will longed to be a father and hold a child that was his and Kate's – their's! No doubt it would have brown hair, Kate's sun-kissed skin and doe-like eyes, and perhaps Will's brown eyes.

He would have to wait eight to ten years to find out if that was really what their child looked like. Will knew that she was stubborn, and he tried to see her side of the story, but he couldn't. He loved children and wanted them now.

Of course, he would not tell Kate that they had to have children now. He would never do that! And once his fiancée put her mind to something, there was no convincing her to _not_ think that way.

He had to wonder if perhaps rushing an engagement wasn't wise. Perhaps they could call off the wedding and wait a year. True, it would have to be a year apart, but they would see each other at Christmas and Easter.

Two times out of one year that they'd get to see each other? He wasn't sure that would work. And besides, he loved Kate and wanted to marry her. He didn't want to wait a year to do so. But she would have matured more by then, and knew what she really wanted.

It was obvious that freedom remark had not meant to be said yesterday. After he gave his talk to her yesterday, he realized that he didn't mean that, either. But how could he trust her as a parent when she was not yet responsible enough to be one?

Perhaps she did have a point. It would be very hard on Kate to have a child at nineteen or twenty and manage a job that took her everywhere. And maybe she just wasn't responsible enough to be one.

Was Kate still upset with him? He had heard her crying, but refused to talk to him. All he heard was that she needed to ask Beckett a question. Whatever happened, he was _not_ going back to Beckett! Whatever made Kate want to consult him again?

* * *

After a late night of rethinking her decision to marry Will, Kate got out of bed at around 9:00 AM. She had only gotten about five hours of sleep. Even a cup of coffee didn't really make her feel more alive. She felt awful for the fight that she and Will had the other day. Neither had spoken to each other since then. 

At the same time, she wasn't going to waver on her choice. She was not going to have kids yet! Besides, she was the one who took birth control.

She knew she had hurt Will's feelings yesterday with the freedom comment. How could he expect her to be a good parent when she was still, in a way, a child herself?

Kate had never been this upset over a boyfriend. A fight had never left her this confused about the future. Would she even be marrying Will now? It wouldn't be wise to if they couldn't agree on children. She really didn't want to lose him, though, especially not over this. They were so close to their wedding, too! Just a few more weeks! This was probably one of the last – if not _the_ last – hurdle before getting to the altar.

"You're not angry, are you?" Will asked from behind her.

She looked around from where she was looking out the window at the kitchen table. He looked like he hadn't slept much, either.

"I'm trying to figure out how to build a time machine to take what I said back," she said.

"What part?" Will said, taking a seat across from her.

"The part where I was talking about freedom again," she said. Just resaying it made her feel immature.

"I know I say I'm an adult, and I am, but I may as well just be a freshman again half of the time. All I think about is me sometimes and I don't think of who I could hurt."

"You didn't hurt me. I said some things that I apologize for yesterday."

She laughed. "It's fine."

And it was fine. Kate really didn't want to talk about what they said; it was more along the lines of what they wanted.

"I love kids, Will, but I'm eighteen," she continued. "I've babysat and taken Child Development class at school, but I'm just not ready for them now. I'm excited for when I'll be ready. And you and I can decorate the nursery and everything. We can even make it a pirate theme if you want."

She looked down at the caramel colored liquid in her ebony black mug. She found it hard to meet his eyes. When she gathered the courage to, she found his eyes weren't judgmental, they were quite understanding.

"I did some thinking of my own last night," he said. "And I figured that even if I may be ready for a child, it doesn't mean that you necessarily are. And if you and I have to wait for a child, then you and I will wait."

She was so grateful that he saw her point of view – and more importantly, that they agreed.

"So...we're alright?" she asked. "No more arguing? And you still want to get married?"

"Of course I want to get married to you!" he said. "Does this mean that you will cancel Beckett's appointment?"

She remembered in her rage of the fight, she called Beckett's office and left a message.

"Oh, it's not an appointment. I just need to talk to him about something."

"About us and children?"

She laughed lightly. "Sort of."

"It's not another of those five step programs?" he asked, sounding quite relieved.

"No, I promise you, it's not. But he will be rather happy to see his program worked."

He held her left hand delicately and both looked at the engagement ring. Every morning when she saw it, she realized that it was not just a dream that she had about her planning their wedding. It was really going to happen!

"Fifty-five more days," he said softly.

"And we'll be in Florida a few days before that." Visions of her walking down the aisle to Will filled her head. "I just can't believe this is really happening."

"What part?"

"That we're actually getting married."

What would their apartment look like? Would it be in a tall building in the center of New York, or would it be on the outskirts? It would obviously be a smaller one, probably with two bedrooms just in case they had guests.

Wait! They would still have to get furniture! Now, with only fifty-two days time before they left for Florida, she had to finish planning the rest of their wedding, buy the dresses, have Will buy the tuxedos, get Will his driver's license, convince Jacques to help him get set up as a photographer, buy a house, do furniture shopping, and make their wedding registry!

Great. She would be getting hardly any sleep now. Stress always kept her awake. She debated whether or not to tell Will to really consider postponing the wedding. She could not do this in fifty-two days!

"I have never been so tempted to call you Mrs. Turner," he said, his lips inching closer to her's.

How could he always reassure her like that? It was almost as if Will knew what she was thinking.

"Experimenting never hurt anyone," she murmured, taking in the moment of bliss after making up.

"Temptation is sweeter after one proves worthy of it."

"But then I'm afraid it wouldn't be called temptation, my dear," she smiled. "You want something so bad..." her lips inched closer to his. "And you feel like you're going to die if you don't have it..."

He traced a finger along her jawline so lightly she could hardly feel it. Kate resisted the urge to kiss him.

"You can call me it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm afraid I can't."

She noticed that his eyes were the brownest she had ever seen them. They were a beautiful shade of brown. Would their children have his eyes?

"And why not?" she asked.

"Because I'm afraid that once I start, I won't be able to stop."

It was clear that they were meant to be married. She knew that no matter what would happen to them in the future, they would be able to overcome it. There was something that Kate couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was the unconditional love each felt for the other (at least she assumed Will loved her unconditionally).

She knew they could pull this together in two months, even through all the fights that they may face, whatever they may be about. He would be by her side to relieve her with that soothing tone he used just for her whenever she needed it. He would tell her the number of days until their wedding, just like he did every day.

"You won't have to soon," she said. "Say it to your hearts content in fifty-five days."

* * *

It was another late morning – for Melissa, at least. She slept in until 9:00 on Sunday morning. She saw that Jack wasn't in her bed. He must have gotten up and started singing that Jackalicious song, a horrible parody of Fergalicious. She sighed and sat up in her baggy grey sweatshirt and red shorts and opened the door to silence. There was no singing.

_Thank goodness_, she thought, breathing a sigh of relief. Even if he did sing, her parents were at church right now. In fact, they probably just left.

As she walked down the hallway, she tied her messy, blonde hair into a high ponytail with an elastic around her wrist. She took a seat next to Jack on the couch and curled up next to him. He was watching something on The History Channel about pirates.

_What a surprise_, she thought, adding in an eye roll. 

"Mornin'," he said. "'Ow'd ya sleep?"

"Soundly. What about you?"

"Fantastic. 'N' yer still fatigued," he said.

"I just got up–"

"No, that's why ya slept in late."

She sighed. "I'm fatigued because I'm stressed. Orientation for college is in a week and a half. I get a little tired when I'm stressed, but this is unusual. And orientation is nothing to stress about. Starting college is, and that's not for about two months still. I don't know."

_It could just be bad PMS_, Melissa added silently. 

"Interestin'," Jack said, his words not matching his tone. "Anyway, they 'aven't mentioned me yet! What's wrong with these people?"

"Jack, I told you, you're supposedly a fictitious character in a movie. It's all coincidental."

"I don't believe in coincidence," he grumbled. "All they've talked 'bout is Cap'n Morgan. 'Ey, isn't 'e the gent who's name I crossed out on th' rum bottle last week?"

"I think so. He must have been a rum runner or something."

"Well, I got marooned on a possibly former rum runner's island – _twice_ – but I got no rum named after me. 'N' I was a pirate lord, too!"

She nodded, not quite sure of what to say. "Good for you."

"Well, 'e was th' 'commander o' militia' in Port Royal. So 'e started out like ol' Norrington, then was a pirate fer two years, takin' all the gold 'e could find. But then 'e was caught in 1670 or so, 'n' thrown int' th' dungeons. But, instead o' killin' 'im like King Charles II was plannin' t' do, 'e knighted him! Made 'im lieutenant governor o' Port Royal instead and tried t' wipe out all the buccaneers! Don't ya see, Mel? That man was after _me!_"

By now, Jack's hands were flying every which way that Melissa was nervous she would be struck by accident. She scooted a little further away, mostly for her own safety.

"But...he didn't succeed?" she offered.

"Right!" he said, holding a finger up. "'N' what a wimp! 'E went back t' being a goody-two shoes. 'E e'en lived in Port Royal! Lizzy 'n' Will lived in Port Royal."

"Yes, but this was before their time."

Melissa wondered how worked up a man could get over someone he never even met. He prayed that his pirate ranting would be over soon. She really did hate when he talked about his pirating days.

"Now, ya see, 'e couldn't catch th' Black Pearl. Nigh uncatchable it was."

"Um...Jack. This was happening before you were even born," she said. "Captain Morgan couldn't have been after you."

Jack slowly put his hands down and sheepishly collected himself. "Right. O' course."


	14. Baby Think It Over

Chapter Fourteen

Baby Think It Over

More than a hundred reviews? You guys rock! Brownies for everyone!

So sorry if this chapter gets confusing...I don't think it's one of my better ones. And for those of you who haven't seen At World's End (gasp...there is people like that, I know! Haha) don't read this chapter.

* * *

At 11:00 on Tuesday morning, Kate left the muggy July weather outside and welcomed the cool, familiar air conditioning of EITC Couples Counseling Center. She walked up the narrow flights of stairs to the second story. She never did ask what was on the first floor. Maybe it was a different type of counseling owned by the same company.

Kate opened the door to the counseling center and saw that the same blonde reception was working there. She went up to the counter.

"Oh, I've seen you before!" the receptionist, who's name she remembered was Christina said. "It's, um..."

Kate wondered what a woman like this was doing working for a man like Beckett.

"Katalina?" Christina guessed.

"Kate," she said. "Beckett may have told you I was coming in without an appointment."

"No, he never said anything...he's almost done with one of his appointments, if you'd like a seat."

Kate sat down in one of the green-colored chairs and crossed her legs at the knees. She had so many memories just the one time that she visited this room. She remembered the shame she felt the first day while Will sat next to her, and even the uncertainty of the last day, when she still wasn't completely sure if he would take her back. She never wanted to revisit those memories – especially the ones that dealt with why they were here in the first place.

It was all caused by one stupid night with Jack! She couldn't ever really look at him the same way. And now with his bone-headed moves while at the party with Melissa, she was starting to dislike him even less. No, he wasn't a bad person, but Melissa probably thought that she could be the person to tame him.

She wondered if maybe they could talk this weekend, a real conversation, one that wasn't about the lust each had felt for each other at one point, or him making the wrong decisions that she would chide him about. Maybe they could just, well, talk?

She saw a blonde couple walk out and go to the receptionist. Mercer was right behind them. Kate stood up and walked towards him, slinging her brown purse over her shoulder. Mercer gave her a quizzical glance.

"It's okay, I talked to him," she said, breezing past Mercer and walked down a hallway to the door that read **Dr. Cutler Beckett**. She opened the door and saw the light yellow walls, paired with several paintings of flowers on the walls. Beckett was walking over to his desk, but turned his head when he heard the door open.

His blue-green eyes looked her over. "That's annoying. You actually showed up."

"And it's wonderful to see you, too," she said, stepping into the room. She closed the door behind her.

"You have me for a whole half hour," Beckett said. "Are you here to tell me there is trouble in paradise with you and Mr. Turner?"

"Quite the contrary."

Beckett gave a sideways glance while tidying some papers at his desk. "Elaborate, Miss Sims?"

She held her left hand up. "I'm getting married."

Beckett's eyes grew as big as the diamond on her finger and walked quickly towards her. She could feel his ego taking up all possible air in the room as he held her hand and examined the ring. She couldn't help but notice he was about three inches shorter than her.

"My program _does_ work," he said in awe.

"And you had reason to doubt that it didn't?"

_He wasn't lying to us about his credibility, was he? _she wondered silently. 

"I'm just impressed to see that a program that _I_ created works," he said. "Mine fixed yet another relationship."

Kate sat down on the couch where she and Will had once sat together with so much friction between them. She sat down on the middle cushion and set her purse down to her left. "Yes, well, it always is good to build your ego."

"Did you and Turner decide if you're going to have children?"

"Actually, we were just talking about that–"

"What wonderful timing, then." Beckett went to the storage closet and pulled out what appeared to be a baby carrier and a doll. "This here is Baby Think It Over."

Kate wasn't quite sure what he meant to do by pulling out what appeared to be a doll. She was about to ask when Beckett started explaining and walking towards her.

"Baby Think It Over is perfect for an engaged couple. I purchased one several years ago when my first engaged couple came back. It tells whether you and your soon-to-be husband, Miss Sims, are supposed to have children at the time."

"Oh, and how exactly does Baby Think It Over help? It's a doll."

He picked it up the doll and opened the back of the sea-green velcro-ed one piece to reveal a flat back. On second glance, the flat back looked to be a mechanical box area, with a space for a round key with a small hooked area. Why would a doll have that on it's back? Beckett picked one of the two black keys accompanying it.

"When it cries, insert the key into a clockwise direction. You'll know you've turned it far enough when it stops crying. Leave the key in until it coos. Take it out, then set the child back in the carrier."

"Wait, it cries? It's a doll."

"No, it's Baby Think It Over. It's more of a robotic doll that measures your parenting skills. You must learn to pay attention, Miss Sims."

"But how long do I keep the key in there?"

"Anywhere from five minutes to thirty-five minutes. It will cry again thirty minutes to three hours after the last crying session."

Was he crazy? She was not going to take care of a robot! But it would give Will a chance to show how good of a parent he really would be, and it would give Kate a chance to show how selfish she could get.

"It's one week of a child. The registry is in the back. It will tell me how many times you've ignored it, how much it cried during the week, how many times you abused it–"

"How do you abuse a robot?"

Beckett simply velcro-ed the one piece up again, took the baby by the ankle, then hung it upside down. As a reaction, the baby started crying. Kate could not believe that she would be taking care of something like that for a week. He then sat it upright. Thankfully, it stopped crying.

"As I was saying, it's one week of a child...unless you're too scared of taking care of one."

She eyed the robot baby and began planning how she would tell Will that Beckett handed her a baby to take care of for a week to test their parenting skills. But his program worked, so she knew that this had to be on the right track, result-wise.

"Fine," she said, getting up to take the child from him, as well as dragging the carrier away. She saw that the baby had big brown eyes and a bit of brown painted-on hair. She wondered that, down the line, if this was what their child would look like.

"Wonderful." Beckett got up from the desk and took out two orange wristbands. Each one had a black key that would fit into the back of the baby. He fastened the wristband around her. She thought it felt a bit like those jelly shoes that she had when she was younger.

"The spare key is for your fiancé. Bring the child back on July 31."

Kate sat back down on the sofa, now with her and Will's temporary child in front of them. She wondered when it would start crying.

Beckett walked back to his desk and dug into his drawers, then pulled out a bottle and two smaller glasses. He set them on the coffee table in front of her.

"Brandy?" he asked. Beckett poured the liquid into a glass, then sat down in the white chair across from her.

"I make it a point of avoiding DUIs."

"Yes, a wedding in prison wouldn't be what you thought of, I'm sure."

"You do have an odd habit of doing that, though. Interrupting a marriage, that is."

"Fate intervening, Miss Sims." He drank some brandy. "By the way, how _do_ you plan on marrying William Turner if you have no birth certificate?"

A week ago she had called the hospital for Will's birth certificate. She remembered how she thought that he was behind it.

"That was rather generous of you to do that, I must admit," she said. "You finally used your government experience to your advantage."

"As much as I would love to take the credit for that, I'm afraid I can't."

If he wasn't behind this, who could? He had to have been lying! There was no other possible way!

"Do you remember, your second couple's session, that I said Calypso could explain how she brought me here?"

"Yes, but that's a given. I mean, you died at sea."

"But it's a wonder that Calypso is a goddess and she would have planned when I would be brought to present day, yet she had no thought about vital documents."

Kate thought about taking a glass of brandy, herself. So Calypso – Tia Dalma – had provided these documents?

"But how?" escaped from her mouth.

"That, my dear, is why she's a goddess. The unearthly kind have no reason to explain themselves."

"So you have a birth certificate, then?" she asked. "Social security? Everything?"

"Yes. I'm assuming you retrieved your fiancé's?"

She nodded. She was starting to get a headache. So it wasn't Beckett who supplied the birth certificate? And what did Calypso have to do with Beckett? She had never met him before! Will and Jack, she understood.

"And, Miss Sims?"

Kate tore her eyes off of the brandy and looked at him.

"You have no worries about a rival."

A rival? What was he talking about? Why did Beckett have to talk to cryptic-like? Kate frowned.

"One Miss Elizabeth Swann," he said, a smirk on his face.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" she inquired.

"It means," he leaned forward, his eyes locked on her's, "you have no need to worry about fate intervening."

Fate intervening – a marriage being interrupted. That would mean that Elizabeth wouldn't come to modern-day, at least not until after the wedding.

"And their son – what was his name?" Beckett continued. "William?"

He was talking about Will's – what was it? Wife? Ex? She couldn't be too sure.

"How do you know about this?" she asked. "How would you know that they had a child?"

"It appears that there was no documents of their son ever being born," Beckett said. "And without documents, there can be no proof. And there was no marriage license issued for when Miss Swann and Mr. Turner did get married, so..."

"It's not official," she finished. "But that doesn't give an explanation as to why Elizabeth won't come back."

Beckett sighed as if this was the easiest thing in the world to explain, but she wasn't grasping it. And maybe it really _was_ easy.

"What is a document that proves death?" he asked slowly.

"A death certificate," Kate said.

"And if it's never proven she was dead, how can she possibly start a life again?"

Kate folded her hands in her lap. She was trying to figure out how exactly they got onto this topic, anyways.

"What about Will, though?" she said. "Did he have a death certificate?"

Beckett just looked at her like she was a complete idiot, which she may certainly be if she couldn't grasp this.

"Are you feeble-minded?" he asked.

"Alright, so he did. I get it. Bottom line is that he won't ever see the Elizabeth that he left things off with terribly and the son he never knew of."

Beckett took a drink of brandy. At least Kate knew that she wouldn't have to worry about a wedding crasher and family drama. But still, she felt like, in a way, Will should at least know the truth of what really happened. She was nervous to tell him, though!

"You are given a sign each time one of us come into your life. What sign were you given by Mr. Turner?"

Great. Now the man wanted riddles? And she just came here to say "thanks for the birth certificate!" and dash out!

"Well, I'm a model, and Will wants to be a photographer. That started out as his eye for detail and precision as a blacksmith."

"Good. Now, tell me about Sparrow. You know I'd love to."

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow?" she asked. "How do you know about him? That he's here, I mean?"

Beckett sighed. "Yes, my dear, _Captain_." He said "Captain" rather sarcastically.

"He – I mean, Jack's staying with a friend of mine."

"Then tell me the sign for her. I never said that it was strictly meant for you."

How could Melissa have been given a sign that Jack was coming? Well, she was studying to be a vet, and his last name ended in Sparrow...

"She's going to be a veterinarian after she's done with college," she said. "And his last name is Sparrow. It's an animal...she likes animals..."

"Yes, I understood that one, thank you. I'm not as feeble-minded as some people. Was there a sign that you were to meet me?"

Beckett...pirate brand, no, that would be too obvious. Navy?

Wait! Jack ripping up the Cap'n Crunch boxes!

"Well, you see, Jack makes his dislikes of the navy quite vocal..."

"And what other signs?" he interrupted her. "Are there any more you can think of for anyone?"

"Unless you're trying to imply something, then no."

Beckett looked like he was about to say something more, but then saw that Mercer was escorting a couple in the room. She picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder, as well as carrying the baby carrier.

"Have a wonderful time," he smiled to her. "And please visit me again, my dear!" Beckett said, before closing the door on her.

Now there was nothing but a drive home with her and Baby Think It Over – which she prayed wouldn't cry during the drive.


	15. A Ship Sailed

Chapter Fifteen

A Ship Sailed

* * *

After a long day of work, Will was more than happy to see Kate. She, however, did not seem so happy. She was carrying what appeared to be a baby in a small, portable cradle. What was she doing with a baby? She must be taking care of the child for a few hours. He guessed that perhaps it was her younger cousin or a neighbor's child.

"Who's is that?" Will said, giving her a peck on the lips.

"Our's," she said. The tone of her voice revealed that she was not happy about watching a child.

Wait. Kate had said that the child was their's? Did she suddenly adopt? Did she find it on the street and decided that she couldn't let it stay there by itself? She had expressed very strongly just the other day that she didn't want children!

"Our's?" Will repeated, flabbergasted. "Kate...that's wonderful that we now have a child, but I wish you would have consulted me first. We don't even have a cradle! We–"

"It's not real," she interrupted. "It's a robot baby. Beckett gave it to us for a week to test our parenting skills."

A small wave of relief washed over Will. He was not prepared to be a parent without a warning!

"What's a robot?" he asked.

"It's a machine that does things automatically, and it's usually programmed by a computer. Like this baby." She put the small cradle down on the ground and held the baby, opening the back of it's clothing to reveal a flat back that he was sure was not typical of a child's. "I got it at around 11:00."

So Kate had the child for about four hours and had taken care of it the whole time. He wondered if it was difficult to take care of.

"It's cried twice so far. First at around 11:45, right after I got home from Beckett's, then at 2:00. It cries every thirty minutes to three hours after it's last crying session."

It was due to cry again at 5:00, then. Will would be more than glad to take care of the child, even if it was a robot. It was still their's, and they were responsible for it.

"How do you get it to stop crying?" he asked. "Do you pick it up and pat it on the back?"

"No, you insert a key in the back. It's in the carrier, it's the thing with the orange wristband. Do you want to get that for me?"

Will picked up the wristband. In return, she set the baby down in what Kate called the carrier and helped adjust his wristband for him.

"What kind of a baby is this?" he asked. "Normal babies don't need to have keys put in their back...do they?"

Will knew so little about babies, he wasn't quite sure where to begin to ask. His mother died when he was young, and since his father was always at sea, he had never had a younger sibling to take care of. Even in Port Royal, he had no experience with children.

"No," she said.

"May I ask why Beckett thought that this was a good idea?"

"I'll tell you when I figure that out." She picked the carrier up. "Alright, time for your driving lesson. A child won't interfere with what must be done." She opened the door and put the child in the back seat so that it was sitting backward.

"It's safest for the baby," Kate explained, noticing Will's puzzlement. She then handed him the keys and got into the passenger's seat. Will got in the driver's seat and started the car.

"Do you plan on naming the child?" he asked, driving out of the parking lot.

"It's a boy. I was thinking William. For the father."

Kate wanted to name their child after him! True, it was just a temporary child, but the excitement still remained.

"William James Turner III," Will grinned. "It does have a rather nice ring to it."

* * *

Jack was starting to long to see Kate again. He was starting to miss her like he missed the sea, which was saying something. He longed to see her and her emerald eyes and chestnut brown hair. Jack longed to kiss her lips again, to touch her again... 

Melissa was a nice girl and quite beautiful, and had a sort of innocence about her, even though she hardly was anymore. But Jack knew that there would always be something between him and Kate. Ever since the weekend at the cabin, there was this lust – curiosity – that would never die for her. Jack would do whatever he had to do to satisfy his still-there curiosity.

Melissa had been fun for a while. He had to admit that the chase to get her was like one he hadn't been on for some time. But now Kate was going to get married to The Eunuch. Really. Of all people, she _had_ to choose The Eunuch.

_Good luck t' them producin' a child_, he thought. 

Jack would start a fight with Melissa, one so apocalyptic that she would never want to look at him again. That was a start to break ties with her. After he had completed step one, then she would persuade her to break things off with The Whelp. Then Melissa and The Whelp could cry on each other's shoulders about broken hearts, and he and Kate could be stuck on an island with rum.

But how where would he go once he told Melissa goodbye? He didn't necessarily have a ship or a house to go to where she wouldn't either scream like a banshee at him or cry. No, he needed a new plan. Maybe he should persuade Kate to call off the wedding to The Eunuch first. Better! _Then_ he could break things off with Melissa.

Now, step number one, persuading Kate, would prove to be difficult. She obviously dearly loved William for whatever reason and was planning on marrying the lad. Perhaps he could get her drunk and then explain why she should not marry him. People often did rash things when they were drunk – take Melissa, for instance.

See, he would persuade her that marriage was not right. She was too young and had only known the boy for not even two months. But then she would most likely argue, "But I love him!"

Jack could then reply sardonically, with an eyebrow raised, "Really?"

Piece of cake.

What Melissa lacked was a sense of adventure. She was always too cautious. And when she _did_ do something remotely adventurous or decide to break her tighter-than-a-corset moral code, she regretted it the morning after, like her expressing her love for him and having one sip too much of rum. Kate wouldn't even hesitate to do those things, probably.

Jack wanted to get Kate angry. She looked ravishing when she was angry. All woman seemed to, although Jack had only seen a glimpse of an angry Melissa. He _had_ seen an angry Lizzie, though. That was something to see, mind you.

And how exactly would Jack be able to talk to Kate privately about this ever pressing matter? He could say he had to work late on Thursday and tell Melissa to go home, and that Kate could drive him home. Which could probably be done. And, if all goes well, he would see a crying Kate coming in on Friday at G. Will Liquors saying how broken hearted she was that she had to end her engagement with Will. And, she, being a woman, would hug him and cry into his chest.

That's where Captain Jack Sparrow came in. He would snatch the opportunity to hug her and say that it was really for the best, that eunuchs were not worthy of someone like her. She, hopefully, would understand that this was a compliment.

The rest would write itself. With Kate, at least. Melissa was a different story. After Kate and dear William were over and Kate had looked to him for comfort, he would tell Melissa that things would never work between them. Then, Melissa would probably either slap him, slam the door in his face, or run out of the house crying.

He knew this would work. He _was_ Captain Jack Sparrow, after all.

* * *

So far, Willy, as Kate and Will had taken to calling him, had only cried once for the temporary father, while they were discussing wedding invitation formats. Even though Will was a bit surprised to hear crying like that (they both thought it was unrelenting), he was eager to take care of it.

After Willy had cooed, they had some dinner, then focused on Will's photography portfolio when the baby wasn't crying.

"Jacques said that you need to make a portfolio if you want to be a photographer," Kate said, closing the blinds that overlooked a dimly-lit street. "Preferably by the beginning of next week. And you can fool good photography with a signed model. Not that you're not a good photographer, but you didn't go to photography school, so that will count against you. Sex appeal never hurt, either, in photos."

What was Kate trying to say? Was he going to have to photograph her showing a bit more skin than he had seen?

"The only reason I could convince Jacques to try and send your portfolio to the design heads of Anthropologie is because I told him that models take their best pictures when they're with a photographer they trust. And Jacques, being a perfectionist, caved in. He's given you one week to put together a portfolio. You'll have to attend my photo shoot next week if you're serious about it. He'll show you what it is that photographers do while on a job assignment, so you're going to have to take next Monday off. He'll also look over your portfolio, and, if he deems it worthy, he's sending it out to the advertising executives."

From Kate speech, Will had many questions. He tried to remember them all.

"So," Will said, "when we go to New York together, you're still going to work for Anthropologie?"

"That's my plan, yes. No one's given me the boot yet."

"And I'd work for Anthropologie, as well? I'd be a photographer?"

"Assuming that the advertising executives approve."

"And if they don't?"

Kate paused, almost as if she was trying to think of a plan C. "No, I'm positive you'll get in."

"Why are you so confident?"

"Because I know it's meant to be."

Will didn't argue with Kate's confidence, mainly because he didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't get hired.

"And because I work for them," she continued, "it'll be a little easier for you to get in."

"But I thought you said it would be harder since I didn't have go to photography school."

"Then you broke even." She looked at Willy, then looked back at Will. "I am confident that you'll get this, though. Just think of it, Will. Two months, you and me living in New York, working as a team."

Now _he_ started to think about the wedding! It was now fifty-three days until they were married. What would her dress look like? Had she even looked at dresses yet?

Last Sunday, they had scheduled ten showings, all two-bedrooms. They had scheduled three in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan, five in Queens, and one in West New York. He remembered that Kate felt very strongly towards one on 67th Street in Queens. Will had liked it from the pictures, as well. Kate had started worrying then about what to do if they didn't get the house. Will had assured her that they would then start with their second choice.

"How exactly do we plan on taking care of Willy for the next week?" Kate asked. "Are we going to sleep downstairs on the couch? I think we have an air mattress tucked away, too, if you want to do that."

Will had never slept in a bed with a woman. This _was_ his fiancée, though.

"I can sleep on top of the covers," he said. "We can share a bed."

Kate seemed surprised at his response. She most likely wasn't expecting him to say that.

"Oh," she said. "Well, there's no reason why you can't sleep under the covers if your intentions are good."

"Your father would skin me alive if he found me, though."

"He knows it's for Willy, though. He'd understand."

"I'll be fine. I promise," he said.

She nodded. Even his stubborn fiancée could give in at times.

"It's been a couple of weeks since I checked your back."

"Ever the motherly type," he said. "Really, I think you would make a wonderful mother. You're always checking with other people to see how they're faring."

"It's because I'm due to be married to you. I have to take care of you. I _want_ to."

He felt her left the back of his shirt up. He heard her gasp. A surge of worry rushed through him.

"What is it?" he asked.

Kate was silent. She ran her hand over his back. "Scars are not supposed to do that."

* * *

Melissa nestled up to him, her eyes closed. She looked about ready to fall sleep. She was obviously tired. Was thinking about college really that stressing? She needed something to relax her, like a back massage again. 

"I love you, Jack," she murmured.

Those words, coming from a vulnerable, naive girl held the same status as a week ago to him: they meant hardly anything. He knew he wasn't infatuated with her anymore. That ship had long since sailed. Infatuation existed for another woman, however.

He brushed a strand of light blonde hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Actions do speak louder than words, right?

"I'm workin' late on Thursday," he said. "Til 6:00."

"Do you want me to pick you up?" she asked softly.

"No. Katie could pick me up. She's closer."

"Alright, I'll talk to her tomorrow. She'll have to pick you up on Wednesday and Thursday next week, too. I have orientation at the university those days and won't be able to pick you up. I'd be getting home around 7:00. Getting out of Minneapolis at 6:00 is a nightmare."

Kate would pick him up three days in a week. How lovely.

"You go t' sleep," he said, planting a kiss gently on her forehead.


	16. What If?

Chapter Sixteen

What If?

* * *

At 1:00 Wednesday morning, Willy thought it would be the perfect time to let out a wail. That snapped Kate out of a dream about her and Will walking along the beach during the sunset. She opened her eyes to find only darkness and a faint outline of Willy wailing on the ground next to her. Kate had to let her eyes adjust to the darkness for a moment.

Next to her, she could see Will sitting up. "Do you want me to get him?"

"No, it's alright. I'll take care of him. Can you turn the light on for me? The one on the night stand?"

Will fumbled around for the switch, but soon the room was engulfed in a bright light. Kate's eyes hurt from the lack of sleep and the sudden brightness.

Still crying, Kate picked up Willy and put the key into his back and turned it. He stopped crying. Kate sat up and held him, letting her eyes close slightly. They were heavy, and most likely red with bags under them.

"I think you were right," Will said. "It's wise of us to wait, even if it _is_ eight years."

She felt glad that he finally agreed with her. Maybe Beckett knew what he was doing, after all.

"If you're worried about us not...acting like husband and wife, so to speak..."

Kate felt embarrassed trying to explain that they could still have sex without making a child.

"You see, I take medicine for that. Well, not just for that, but for other things. It's called birth control, which prevents pregnancy. We don't have to wait eight years."

Will's expression remained neutral. "I wasn't worried about that. But that's reassuring to hear you don't have to worry about an unplanned child."

_You _don't have to worry about an unplanned child. Will was making it clear that he wanted a child. She still was unwavering about her decision. 

"I-I mean, I realize how difficult it would be to have a child this young. But we would get used to it," he corrected.

"We would," she agreed.

Will sat up next to her. A few beats of silence passed. He looked at Willy, then back at her, then said, "You said something about my scars."

That had kept Kate up most of the night. Her stomach started somersaulting in fear just thinking about his now scarless back. Scars aren't supposed to do that. That's why they're called scars – they last forever. She knew that was a sign. Before, they had been subtle, almost invisible, but this one was as plain as day. She could only begin to guess who have them come across next. From what she remembered, Davy Jones had sentenced him to five lashes. Did that mean that he would come across them next?

But didn't his father actually do the whipping? Kate was confused and tired, and didn't much want to do deep thinking.

"Kate?" Will encouraged gently.

"They're gone," she said, meeting his brown-eyed gaze.

Those gentle eyes quickly changed to confused orbs. "What do you mean 'they're gone'?"

"Gone!" she said softly. "Gone away, disappeared! They're not there anymore."

"Are you sure? Perhaps the lighting –"

"Will. They're gone. Which is impossible, since they're scars." She sighed. "Beckett told me yesterday that there was a sign when you and Jack would come into Melissa and mine's life. And your sign was...well, I'm a model, and you're getting into photography. You can't have one without the other. That's how I know you're going to get the job for Anthropologie."

Will smiled. "That's wonderful! You and I are going to be working together."

Even though she was tired, she smiled back. "And Melissa's sign was that she's studying to be a veterinarian, and she got Jack _Sparrow_. His last name is an animal. It coincides with what she likes."

"So, this was going to happen all along? It was just a matter of time?"

"It was just a matter of fate waiting to deal her cards."

There were a few beats of silence. Kate longed to just put Willy down and go back to sleep.

"And I spent the day thinking how the signs were so vague...I asked myself how I would know what the next sign is," she continued.

"And that's where the disappearing scars come in?" Will guessed.

"Right. And I don't know who it could be that we'll meet next. I'm assuming that's a sign, at least. It is if I ever saw one."

Will seemed to ponder the idea. Kate felt her wrist becoming sore. She just wanted to sleep! She hadn't gotten enough over the past week to function right due to the stress of planning the wedding – she was scared to see what a robot baby mixed in would do.

"I don't see why Davy Jones would come across us," he finally said. "My father could have something to do with it, though, since he was the one that gave me those."

Kate's mind immediately leapt to the wedding. Would they find him – or, depending on how one looked at it, would he find them – by their wedding?

"Would you want to reconnect with him?" she asked.

"Of course, Katherine. He's my father."

Kate loved how Will was so forgiving. She wasn't sure if she would do the same in his situation.

"Do you think it's him that's next?" she asked.

"I would much rather it be him than Jones, dear."

She quickly looked at her engagement ring, the large diamond in the center surrounded by small diamonds going around the band, engulfed in white gold. She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't bought the medallion on May 31, that ring wouldn't be on her finger.

"I do hope it's him," Will said to himself. He then focused on Kate again. "Do you think we'll meet before the wedding? I would want him to see the woman I'm to marry."

Kate's wrist was hurting more. She tried not to focus how her wrist was starting to cramp up. Thankfully, Willy cooed then. She put him back in the carrier and laid back down. Will laid next to her and stroked her hair.

"That's all we can hope for, isn't it?" she asked.

* * *

When Melissa had her lunch break the next day during a busy shift at Elm Creek Animal Hospital, she called Kate while outside at the park that they were at just two weeks ago. In the background she could hear something cooing when she picked up.

"Hello?" Kate said.

"What's that noise?" Melissa asked.

"Willy," Kate explained.

Willy? Was that Kate's pet name for Will? And didn't Will have to be at work?

"Remember Baby Think It Over from Child Development class?" Kate asked.

Melissa remembered taking that class. People who took care of it over the weekend often returned to school on Monday morning looking very tired. She had never taken home a Baby Think It Over.

"Yeah," Melissa said. "What about it?"

"Will and I are supposed to take care of it for a week. Beckett gave it to me before I could refuse."

"You went back to Beckett? Were you guys having troubles?"

"We fought last weekend about kids."

Melissa understood where Baby Think It Over came in now. It was Kate's stubborn way of proving her point – that she did not want children now.

"I am _not_ having kids for a long time. Not after Willy. That's what we decided to call him."

"You named him after Will?" Melissa asked.

"Technically, Will's father."

Didn't Elizabeth name her child William, too? She didn't think that Kate would actually give a name like William Turner III to their child. She was the kind of person that would name their child Aiden or Ava.

"He can't remember," she said. "He doesn't remember that he and Elizabeth got married and that they had a child."

Melissa looked at a boy, about six years old, near the edge of the lake with what appeared to be his father. The father was instructing the boy how to cast off a fishing pole.

"Do you think you're going to tell him?" Melissa asked.

She could hear her friend sigh on the other line. "I don't know. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would want to know, like he'd want to put the past behind him. I'm dropping hints, to see if he remembers, like William Turner III. He doesn't seem to, though."

Lucky for her, Jack seemed to not care what happened in his past. He was always looking for something new. Maybe that's what Melissa loved about him. He was adventurous and a free spirit. Or maybe she felt so drawn to him because he reminded her a little of Kate.

"What if he still has some feelings towards Elizabeth still?" Kate asked.

This shocked Melissa. Will having feelings for another girl? She hadn't talked to him enough to know his life story, but he didn't strike her as that.

"Kate, he's getting married to you! Why would you think that?"

"They ended things so abruptly, I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, he got thrown forward three hundred years right after his then-fiancée kissed Jack. And you never do forget your first love. Remember 'The Notebook'?"

"He loves you, Kate, I swear it! He's marrying you for the right reasons. He loves you so much. Alright?"

"Alright." Kate paused. "God, I've been thinking too much about all this. I haven't even asked you how you and Jack are doing!"

It didn't bother Melissa that they hadn't talked about her and Jack. She had always liked listening to other's problems – she had even thought about being a psychologist briefly in sophomore year.

"We're doing fine," she said happily. "Same as always."

"You mean that _nothing_ has gone on with you two? You're just...fine?"

A rush of fear came over her. Had Jack talked to her about having him deflower her? No, when would they have had the chance to? Melissa didn't want her to know! It wasn't any of her business! And, besides, even if Jack did tell her, Kate probably would think of it as one of Jack's jokes. She was pretty sure that Kate couldn't imagine Melissa having sex.

But wouldn't she be happy for her if Melissa did decide to tell her? It would be weird to finally say that she had lost her virginity to him – it was still a treasured secret between her and Jack.

"I'm happier than I've been in a long time," she said. "I really love him."

"That's really great to hear you've found someone like that."

Melissa smiled. "Isn't it?"

She remembered about Jack having to work late tomorrow night. She plucked a blade of rich green grass and played with it between her fingers as she looked at the father and son fishing.

"Can you do me a favor?" Melissa asked.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Jack has to work an hour later tomorrow, so could you pick him up? Otherwise I have to kill an hour at Target or Walgreens."

"Yeah, no problem. G. Will Liquors, right?"

"Yes, 6:00. Oh, thank you!"

"It's nothing," Kate insisted. "Trust me, I need to leave Willy for a while."

A smile crept upon her face. "And how _is_ Will doing with temporary fatherhood?"

"Wonderful."

"And the mother?"

"A four pound crying robot baby is kicking my ass."


	17. Picture Perfect

Chapter Seventeen

Picture Perfect

I know Jack and Melissa have been a little MIA lately...please don't hurt me, Jack fans! I have reasons for my insanity!

Oh, and I'm going up north for a few days, so it'd be great to come home to a mailbox full of reviews... :D

* * *

Kate ran her fingers over the black silk of her oriental robe. She looked herself over in the full-length mirror on the back of her door. Her hair was in waves past her shoulders. She had no makeup on, except for foundation and mascara.

She walked over to her makeup box and pulled out a red lipstick that she had used rarely before. She was more of a neutral colored type, or gloss even. She dabbed a bit on, spreading it evenly over her full lips. Kate decided that this was not enough to complete the look.

Will was going to spend a little time working on his portfolio, like they did every evening. Will always let her dress however she wished – it was him that had the difficult job. He had to figure out what angles he would photograph her from, and suggest which poses to use. Today, she had decided, just to see if he would remember, an Asian theme.

Kate really wanted him to know what had happened. She was just nervous about what would happen if he told her. Would he not marry her, otherwise, in hopes that he could get back to his time period and continue things with Elizabeth?

_No! _the rational side of her brain thought. _If he wanted to go back to his time period,_ _he would not be marrying you!_

She took two silver hair sticks and put them by her side. She sat down and put her hair back in a bun, then carefully put the two sticks through it, adjusting the red butterfly charms at the end. Kate stood up and reexamined herself. This was as good as it was going to get.

She opened her door back up and knocked on Will's door, which was right next to her room. After a few moments, Will answered the door and looked at her.

"You look beautiful," he said.

So he didn't remember. That was fine, she was still going to help Will anyways.

"Thank you," she said.

They went into her room. Will shut the door behind them. He looked around the room to examine the best spot for her.

"Could you over to the window for a moment?" he asked.

She walked over to the window to the dark outdoors and leaned against it.

"No, it's too dark out for that. What about..."

As he thought, she pulled down the blinds over the window and twisted them shut.

"Could you go by the closet?" he asked.

She did as she was told. Will looked through the camera, probably for the lighting. A black and white setting, what Will liked to have the camera set at, was difficult to pull of. Just the slightest change of light could change an entire picture, for better or for worse. She thought he was doing a wonderful job so far.

"Alright," Will said, confirming they could start.

Kate turned around, pulling the draping neckline of the robe closer together, then looked back at the camera.

"Tilt your head a bit more towards me," he instructed.

Kate did so. The camera clicked.

"Turn around, darling," he said.

She did so, keeping the same pose. Will clicked another picture.

She turned back around and pulled at the ties of her robe wrapped tightly around her waist. Kate had never posed half naked, but if she had to, she would. She didn't feel comfortable with strangers seeing her body exposed like that. Someone who had seen those could see her walking down the street, even!

She let the robe fall down to right above her hips. She looked back at Will, who looked very apprehensive. She wasn't sure whether or not he was going to photograph her. She had expected to do this, and she knew that she was take a gamble with it. Will could either ask what she was thinking, or he could photograph her and view it as art.

"I can't do this, Kate," he said.

"I'm the object, here. If it should be embarrassing for anyone, it's me. And I'm not."

A rush of adrenaline ran through her. Her heart started beating faster. This is what she lived for: the feeling of trying something exciting for the first time.

She was positive he could see only her back. She was not exposing her breasts or butt. What was so risque about this? Will needed to loosen up!

"You, uh..." he trailed off. "You look stunning still."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Will seemed slow to pick up his camera. She didn't want to go back to helping him now. They were having a bonding moment like none other that she had experienced. She had never exposed this much for him, and she was very sure that he had never seen this much of her – or any woman – before, either.

Her neck was getting sore. "Will?" she said.

"Oh. Right." He picked up the camera and took a while to get it just right. She heard the click of the camera. Kate then wrapped the robe back around her.

"I think these are the best ones we've taken yet," he said, reviewing the pictures. She reviewed them quickly after him. He had a wonderful eye for posture and lighting.

"You are a wonderful photographer," she smiled, her arms around his neck.

"Why thank you, my love," he said, putting her hands on the back that, just a minute ago, he had photographed.

Just as he grazed her lips, Willy decided to start crying.

* * *

The more Will thought of his and Kate's upcoming wedding, the more excited he became. It was now fifty-one days until they were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Turner in front of the sixty-eight guests at Trump Internation in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.

He wondered what sort of dress she would have. Would it be long and voluminous, like Elizabeth's was? Or would it be a sleek dress that would glide over her thin figure? Will couldn't wait to see her walking down the aisle to him in it.

He still had to get his suit with Jack. What had Kate called it? A tuxedo? That seemed nearly unimportant compared to the thought of her in her dress – her _wedding_ dress – that she would be walking down the aisle in.

He thought of the picture that he took of Kate earlier, the one where her robe rested above her hips. Will couldn't believe that the beautiful woman that he photographed was to be his wife. It was so deep of a love, it was like living in a dream. Loves like that are so rare to find. He found it hard to believe he had come across a woman as wonderful as her.

Willy started crying. Kate opened her eyes quickly and gasped, obviously started by the noise. She rubbed her eyes.

"Let me," Will said, holding his hands out for Willy. Kate scooped him up from the carrier and handed it to him. Will put the key in his back. The crying stopped.

"Thank you," Kate said.

"You've taken care of him all day, it's the least I can do for you."

She put her head on his shoulder. "It's Thursday. Tell me how many days are left."

The clock read 2:48. He had slept soundly from midnight or so until now. He wondered how Kate was sleeping. She knew she slept horribly under stress, but she was probably worn out from their child.

"Fifty-one," Will said. "I promise that nothing will interrupt our marriage."

"Meaning that I should take Beckett off the guest list?"

"No, I think it would only be proper of him to see that his program does work. I already had one wedding interrupted; I won't let it happen again."

"You have no reason to promise that. We know that it won't happen." She put a hand on his upper arm.

"I feel better if I promise you, though."

"That's sweet of you," she murmured. "This wedding is going to change everything. I'm so ready for it to happen."

"You're not nervous?"

"Not at all." She chuckled. "Not yet, anyway. Are you?"

Will was not nervous yet, but he suspected that he would be the day of the wedding. He was before he and Elizabeth were about to get married. Perhaps the second time around would be different. Will knew this marriage was destined to happen. And he loved Kate with all of his heart!

Not that he hadn't loved Elizabeth with all of his heart. He had, and he also thought he was going to marry her, too. But something told him that Kate was The One.

"No," Will said softly. "I'm excited to go to Florida...have the marriage licence signed...get married...move to New York..."

When Kate didn't respond, Will thought that perhaps she had fallen asleep. He turned to make sure she was awake. She was.

"It's funny," she said. "When I pictured my wedding day, I never thought of you as the person I'd be getting married to."

"To be honest, I never envisioned marrying you, either."


	18. Deja Vu

Chapter Eighteen

Deja Vu

Alright, I got fifty-four hits for the previous chapter, but only three were kind enough to review. Don't make me hold the next chapter hostage! I'll do it, I already know what happens!

I do apologize if this is boring right now, but you know the plot's going to thicken. Stick with it!

Don't own the title of this chapter. It's owned by Beyonce and the people who created the movie titled "Deja Vu."

* * *

For the hour that Jack was waiting outside for Kate, he had nothing to do but sit down on the sidewalk outside of G. Will Liquors. He waited, waited some more, then waited again. Jack was growing eager to start persuading her. Hopefully the lass was starting to second guess her choice and debating whether to leave dear William or not. If she wasn't second guessing, Jack had some persuading to do.

6:00 came after a very long hour of waiting on the hard sidewalk, with nothing to do but think. And, as promised, Kate showed up in her silver automobile. As he walked towards her, he saw she was applying a shiny liquid onto her lips. Kate rubbed her lips together, looking in the rearview mirror. Did he know the effect that had on men just by doing something like that? Melissa never put shiny liquid on her lips!

_See? _Jack thought. _This is what I'm missing!_

He could not lose something that satisfied him so greatly to The Whelp, he just couldn't!

He got in the passenger seat next to Kate. He wanted to kiss those lips of her's so bad...he wanted to finish what was interrupted during Cabin Weekend...what _didn't_ he want to do with Kate?

"Hey," she said, zipping her purse shut. "How are you?"

"Just wonderful," he said, closing his door and putting the seatbelt on.

Jack remembered the last time he was completely alone with Kate. That was when she came to smooth thing over after Cabin Weekend. He wanted to go back to kissing her and going further than he actually did go with her.

Damn that Whelp. He had to interrupt them! He was sure that if they did indeed go as far as both wanted to go at the time, he would not have Melissa right now, but Kate. Jack would then not be having to try and persuade Kate out of an engagement to said Whelp and decide how and when to leave Melissa.

This was all William's fault. Everything was his fault!

"You must be tired after an extra long day," Kate said, reversing out of the parking spot by the front.

"Yes, but I must confess, the scenery has improved greatly," Jack replied. He used that line on Elizabeth when they were marooned on that island a year or so ago, except the circumstances were slightly different. But he had a chance to kiss Elizabeth then, too, just like he had a chance with Kate right now! No one would have to know!

"Shut up, Romeo," she said. "I'm not your Juliet."

"Speaking of Romeo," he mused, "how _is_ your betrothed?"

"Just fine. He and I are getting more and more excited for the wedding."

Jack noticed that ring on her finger was big. _Very_ big – it said that her fiancé was overcompensating for _some_thing.

"'N' ye're not gettin' cold feet?" he asked.

"No. I'm excited. Will tells me the number of days each morning. It's so cute! And next week he and I are flying to New York –"

Alright, it was obvious that the lass thought she was making the right decision and was excited for her wedding. Jack _really_ had some persuading to do.

"Love, ye're eighteen, right?" he asked.

"Yes..." she said, turning onto the highway. Jack noticed it was the same one that he and Melissa took everyday.

"Well, that's a li'l young for this day 'n' age t' be sayin' 'I do.'"

"When you know, you know, though."

"Ya 'ave yer whole life, though. 'N' what if Th' Eunuch's not yer soulmate or Th' One or whate'er terms ya lasses use?"

"Look, Jack, I know I'm young. I'm supposed to be thinking about college, like Melissa, not the type of china for my wedding reception. But I _want_ to be doing this hectic planning. I want to marry him. I love him."

"Do ya?"

"Do I what?"

"Love Th' Whelp – fer whate'er inane reason that may be?"

"Have you not been listening to me? Of course I love him!"

"Really?" Jack replied sardonically with an eyebrow raised.

Kate started looking more and more ravishing with each moment. Her green eyes were narrowing in his direction, and her full lips seemed more tempting to kiss. Why was it that women were most ravishing when they were angry at him?

"I'm not quite sure what you don't understand, Jack," she said.

"All o' it."

"Y-What are you trying to say?" she stammered.

"Katherine...Katie...love...as yer mate 'n' former near one-night-stand, I feel that it's in yer best interest that I warn ya that perhaps Th' Eunuch is too eunuchy fer ya. Women o' yer, eh, baby makin' capabilities should not be wasted with a eunuch."

If Kate was not angry before, she was now. She said nothing, though. Jack wanted – needed – his persuasion to work. He wanted Kate!

"See, darlin'," Jack continued, "ye 'n' dear William are much too different. Things would ne'er work between ya. Now, us on the other 'and –"

"You selfish, inconsiderate, nearly two-timing son of a bitch!" she said furiously. "How _dare_ you say this!"

"Ya ne'er called me a liar. I wonder what that means."

"And you're a liar!" she added.

God, she was the most ravishing he had ever seen her. Jack wanted to do _so_ many things to that girl next to him.

"You have Melissa! How can you even think of saying something like this? She's in love with you! And you're trying to tear me and my fiancé apart fifty-one days before our wedding – and all for your profit?"

Alright, obviously Kate was not keen on considering leaving The Whelp. That made him angry – he always got what he wanted!

"It's fer yer profit, too, love. Ya lose the proverbial extra baggage, 'n' ya gain Captain Jack Sparrow. Now, tell me, why wouldn't ya want t' do that?"

"Oh, I don't know, because I love him?"

"I'm very flattered, darlin', but my only love is th' sea."

"Not you. Will."

"Just reconsider. We're not so different, ye 'n' I –"

"Except for a sense of moral decency."

_Deja vu_, Jack couldn't help but think. 

"Ye're th' one that kissed me while with yer dearly beloved t'-be."

"I don't steal people!"

"She confesses! It would've been a one-night-stand!"

Jack saw her jaw tense up. She looked so ravishing still!

"I just can't believe that you would say this. Melissa is crazy in love with you and you want to leave her for me? How many times do I have to say it? Things would never work out between us, no matter how similar you think you and I are. I've made my choice, Jack. And it's not with you."

No! Jack wanted Kate, and bugger, he was going to have her! She could not let something this ravishing slip through his fingers again!

"Why do you have to be such a pirate?" she muttered.

"Why do ya 'ave t' be such a spoiled li'l brat?" he returned.

"Why can't you just be happy for me?"

The reason she couldn't is because he wanted her! He was not going to say that, though, even though he loved seeing her angry. She might drive the car off the road and crash it! And that would not be a very pretty sight.

"Elizabeth," he teased.

Immature? Of course. Good for getting one's point across? Most definitely.

"Man whore," she said.

"Goin' t' 'ave t' do better than that, anorexic."

She gasped. "You take that back, you...you..."

Jack won! It just proved that he was smarter than her, thus he knew what he was talking about by having her not marry the eunuch.

"Ha! Ya can't e'en come up with another name fer me!"

Kate was pouty from losing – or was she angry from hearing what Jack wanted? – the rest of the ride home. She parked in front of his driveway, and looked him right in the eye.

"Please don't string Melissa on," she pleaded. "You promised me that you wouldn't."

"Ya told me not t' – there's a difference. 'N' since ya didn't listen to my advice, why should I listen to yer's?"

Ha! That would teach that she-devil to think.

"Because this is Melissa. She's my friend."

"Ah, that was me, but ya paid no heed t' that."

"It's because –"

Kate didn't have time to finish before Melissa came bolting out of the house.

"Jack," Kate said, gripping his arm before he opened the door. "Promise me that if you don't really care for her, you'll let her go."

Before Jack could give an answer, Melissa opened the passenger door. "Come on!" she said. "My parents are out getting Chinese and they'll be home any minute." She diverted her attention to Kate. "Thank you! I owe you!"

"No, it's fine, really," Kate insisted. "I'll talk to you two later."

Jack got out of the car and quickly went in the house with Melissa. Both went downstairs into her room. She sat on her bed and started laughing. Jack couldn't help but wonder what could be so funny.

"Ye've gone mad," Jack noted, sitting next to her.

"I'm just happy!" she said. "Happy to see you...Happy that we have thirty minutes alone..."

"I thought ya said that yer parents would be back soon," he replied.

"I lied." She got on top of him and kissed him.

That's _why someone was in a rush to get inside_, he thought.

He unbuttoned her blue shirt to find a multi-colored polka dot bra. Jack thought that that was new. He hadn't seen it before. That wasn't the only new thing, though. He noticed that her chest seemed to have enhanced a bit since the last time that he had seen it, which happened to be a week or so (due to Melissa's lack of energy, she refused). This alone was enough to make Jack forget all breakup thoughts.

"Ye've changed," Jack commented, forcing himself to look away from her chest and into her light blue eyes.

"Yeah!" Melissa said. "I don't know, they've just kind of..._grown_ for the past week. Very slowly, of course, and a little painful. But I went shopping for a new bra today during my lunch break."

"I love 'em – _it_! I meant _it_!" Jack said.

"No, it's okay. I kind of like them, too."

"Any reason as to why they're, er, different?"

She shrugged. "I'm just happy you can't call me flat-chested anymore."

"Aww...I'll miss not callin' ya that."

And, even though Melissa would be no Kate, being with Melissa didn't seem so hard. True, he was only truly happy with Kate, but at least Melissa was "maturing."

Immature? Yes. But Melissa was none the wiser of that talk that he and Kate had in the car. And he was keeping his "promise" to Kate. Everyone was happy, then!

* * *

Kate started worrying for Melissa more and more as the night went on. Why had she chosen such an idiot boyfriend? She couldn't believe he had the audacity to actually admit to her that he liked her! And he thought that she was going to leave Will for Jack – the one that nearly destroyed their relationship!

She was proud of Melissa for taking of the daunting challenge of trying to "change" Jack, but it just wasn't going to happen. She made a mental note to call her soon and have a talk with her.

Kate cuddled up to Will in bed that evening. He kissed her forehead.

"What?" Will asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she murmured. "I'm just so ready to marry you."


	19. A Day Can Change Everything

Chapter Nineteen

A Day Can Change Everything

**Thanks for the reviews:D**

* * *

Melissa woke up the next morning to the spicy smell of the kung pao chicken from last night. She opened one blue eye to see the white carton on her dresser near her bed, next to the night stand. Kung pao chicken was something she so rarely had. She felt like it was nearly a holiday when she had it again!

She took her dinner downstairs, which was becoming par for the course now. Her parents had never said anything about it; she thought they probably assumed that she was busy with looking at laptops or something of the sort, even though the computer was in the downstairs living room, not her bedroom. She kept her door locked, just like every night for the past three weeks. Melissa was nearly one hundred percent certain that her parents thought that Jack was at his "home", which had been flooded by the storm back in June, which made her extra cautious when she had to leave her room with her parents around. She didn't want her parents to find them! What would they say if a veterinarian from where she worked was in her room, especially one thirteen years older than her?_"It's kung pao chicken," Melissa said, opening up the carton and handing him a pair of chopsticks. She set the carton between them. The spices filled the room. "You will love it!"_

_Jack made a face. "No, I don't think I will."_

_"But you've been to Singapore, right? I'm guessing that their food is probably similar to this."_

_Jack peered at the chicken. "Yes...very similar indeed," he said, uninterested._

_"Please?" Melissa took a piece out with her chopsticks. "One bite?"_

_"No."She took a bite. "You'll love it!"_

_"Not interested."_

_Melissa pouted. "Please?"_

_Jack sighed and took a piece out and examined it before taking a small bite. He seemed to not like it._

_"Nope, more fer ya," he said, feeding it to her._

_"You don't like kung pao chicken?" she asked. Melissa was truly shocked. How could someone _not_ like kung pao chicken?_

_"No," Jack replied simply._

Melissa smiled at the memory of last night. She was beginning to think that it was impossible to feel this way about a person. How could someone feel like they could love someone so much in the way that she loved Jack? True, he hated kung pao chicken (a major drawback -- where else could she go out to eat with him?), but she loved his quirkiness.

She sat up and saw that it was 6:49 – nearly time for Jack to wake up. The alarm would go off in eleven minutes. She decided to let him sleep those last few minutes.

As Melissa sat up, she felt a wave of nausea come over her. She could feel herself getting more pale, the blood draining from her face. She quickly got out of bed and unlocked the bedroom door, ran to the bathroom next to her and vomited in the toilet.

She wondered why she had gotten ill. Maybe it was the kung pao chicken. Maybe it had food poisoning. Was it E. coli? Was the meat undercooked? She had gone to Enjoy China numerous times and had never gotten sick before from eating there.

It had tasted fine last night! Melissa had never had food poisoning, but she was pretty sure that it didn't have a taste. So, really, it could be food poisoning. It was probably caused by a E. coli if it was food poisoning. Or she could have gotten the flu and picked it up from somewhere like work.

Great. Now she would have to miss work today, as well as Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Three days in less than a week? She couldn't afford to do that!

Melissa went back to her room and laid back down in her bed. She felt horrible. She didn't need this food poisoning! Not now!

_Better to get it over with now than orientation days_, she thought. 

"Yer up," Jack noted.

"And I have food poisoning," she replied. "It's from that chicken I had last night."

"That's what ya get fer not listenin' t' me. See, I said that chicken wasn't oh-so delicious."

"But why don't you feel sick?"

"B'cause I only had a bite. Ye, on th' other 'and, 'ad more than a bite. And I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow. I don't get sick."

She sighed and fumbled for her pink cell phone on the night stand. She flipped it open and saw the same picture of the lily that she had for about two months and punched Kate's cell into the keypad.

"What're ya doin'?" Jack asked her.

"Calling Kate to see if she'll pick you up," she said, the phone pressed to her ear. She heard ringing on the other end. "There is no way I'm driving you when I could throw up at any second."

"Ah, Kate," Jack grinned. "Yes, do call 'er."

Kate picked up. "Hello?"

"Kate?" Melissa asked, trying not to sound too pathetic.

"Melissa? What's wrong?" she asked.

She wondered whether it was her tone or the time she called that gave it away.

"Can you pick up Jack this morning? I'm so sorry to call so early to ask you this, but I have food poisoning or the flu or something."

It never occurred to her that Kate had to drive Will to Fort Snelling. Didn't he start his shift at 9:00? It took an hour or so to get down there. Why didn't she think of this before? She had no other choice, though, and it was pointless for Jack to just miss a day of work to be left with nothing to do at home, although she was sure Jack wouldn't mind a three-day weekend.

"Yeah, of course. Don't worry about the time, Willy woke me up, anyway. What time do you want me to be over there?"

"8:00 at the latest." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Kate. You really don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Oh, it's no problem. I'll be over there at 7:45."

"Thank you!" Melissa hung up and dropped the phone to the floor. "Kate will pick you up in forty-five minutes. You should get ready now."

* * *

Kate would do anything for Melissa. If it meant taking a bullet for her, she wouldn't hesitate to. She would drive over to her house at two in the morning if she called her cell phone crying. It seemed so much harder to do something as simple as pick up the man that she despised, even if it was with her fiancé in tow, sitting in the passenger seat to her. She really had no reason to think that he was going to pull a repeat of yesterday. Will would not tolerate it!

She pulled into the driveway of Melissa's house. Instantaneously, Jack came out of the house. Kate turned around to make sure that Willy was still in place, on the right-hand back seat. She wondered what kind of reaction that would get from Jack.

Jack got in the backseat and looked at Willy before getting in. The door was open, the muggy morning air coming into the cool air conditioned door.

"Jack, get in!" Kate said.

"What is _that_?" he asked.

Kate sighed. She did not feel like explaining how they got Willy right now. She actually didn't much feel like talking to that selfish, inconsiderate man who wanted to break up with her friend and steal her away from her fiancé.

"It's our child," she said plainly.

"I'm not th' father!" Jack said, his hands up. "Ye 'n' I only went a li'l farther than kissin' on Cabin Weekend –"

"Jack!" Will said. "Please do not say what you did to my fiancée on that horrible weekend."

"What _I_ did t' yer fiancée," Jack said. "Makes it sound like I forced 'er."

"Just get in," Kate said shortly.

"Not till I learn who th' father is. We're goin' on 'Maury', otherwise! I've seen that show, it's quite entertaining for the easily amused. Ya see, there was a lass on there one time who 'ad eighteen different men tested for paternity tests, and they all came back negative!"

"I don't know who the father is!" she said.

Jack got in and buckled his seatbelt, and Kate then backed out of the driveway.

"Now, Will," Jack said, "I know ye'll raise 'im like yer own, bein' th' 'onerable eunuch that ya are, while ya 'ave a fiancée who's a bit o' a wench, not knowin' who th' father is 'n' whatnot –"

"She does not sell her body!" Will said sternly to Jack, turning around to face him. Kate noticed that his eyes were narrow with fury.

She loved having someone who wasn't afraid to stick up for her, even though she hardly needed it. Kate knew that Will really loved her; she had never doubted that once in their relationship.

"Keep tellin' yerself that, mate," Jack said.

Kate was getting fed up that all this was stemming from a doll! Did it go a little deeper than that, though? Was Jack subtly trying to tell him to dump her? No, of course not! Jack would really get into the mind of someone and not leave until they went crazy and caved in.

"It's a doll, Jack!" Kate said. "It does not have a father. Stop fantasizing about me going on 'Maury'. And don't call me a whore or a wench, either."

"Fine," Jack said. "Anorexic."

Even though she knew it was wrong to add more fuel to the fire, she was not going to let Jack just say whatever he wanted about her! She could tolerate him calling her a wench or whore, but she could _not_ tolerate being called an anorexic. Kate could never become one! True, she needed to gain twenty pounds to fifty-five pounds to be considered healthy, rather than the one hundred pounds that she was at.

"I am not an anorexic!"

"And _you_ keep tellin' yerself _that_," he said.

She felt like slapping him. If it were not for her driving, she probably would be doing so right now.

"She is not an anorexic!" Will said. "She does not have an eating disorder. Kate is a healthy woman."

"Who wouldn't die if she ate a 'amburger." Jack was silent for a moment. In the rearview mirror, she could see he was looking at Willy.

"I couldn't e'er be a parent," Jack said.

"And let's take a moment and thank God that you aren't," she replied.

* * *

During the day, Melissa did some research on food poisoning – the only reasonable explanation that she could think of, since she had chicken last night. The website said that the symptoms of food poisoning were nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and chills, weakness, and headache. The only symptom that Melissa had was the nausea and vomitting. 

After Jack had left, she had thrown up once more, but her stomach seemed to be fine now. She thought that she was doing better now, with the exception of the week-and-a-half long fatigue. Melissa decided to blame it on stress.

The website said that one would usually recover from common types of food poisoning within a couple of days. No! She was going to 'Hairspray' tomorrow with Jack! She needed to be better for that! Melissa knew she would. A day could change everything, right?

The site also told her to drink any fluids (with the exception of milk and caffeinated beverages) to replace the fluids lost. As soon as she learned that, she went upstairs and got a bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade from the refrigerator.

Melissa hated having food poisoning and stress at the same time.


	20. Sparrows and Turners

Chapter Twenty

Sparrows and Turners

* * *

Will was taking care of Willy that evening while in the living room, watching a program on the E! channel. Twenty minutes had passed, and Willy still wouldn't let him take the key out. His wrist was hurting from having to keep the key in for so long.

"What would Jack be like as a father?" Kate wondered out loud with a slight laugh. Will knew that she was thinking of what he had mentioned today on the way over, with him saying that he could never be a parent.

"I'm sure that he would grow accustomed to being one very fast," Will said. "He would learn to take care of someone other than himself."

"Can he even take care of him_self_?"

Kate was right. Jack could hardly look after himself. It was considered a blessing that he had someone as responsible as Melissa to look after him.

"The last thing this world needs is another Sparrow." Kate muttered, turned the television off. Thankfully, when Will thought his wrist was going to be permanently twisted, Willy cooed. Will breathed a sigh of relief and put him in the baby carrier.

He couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be bitter towards Jack today. She was short with him today while she drove him to work, and now she was talking about him behind his back, even though she had probably said this to his face.

"You don't seem to be fond of him as of now," Will said. "Is he troubling you?"

"He's just doing what he's best at: finding a way to make me even more fed up with him."

This was news to Will. She hadn't spoken about something troubling her.

"Would you like to discuss it?" he asked her.

She paused, as if to think about something. If Will knew anything about his fiancée, it was that she didn't want him to be burdened. Although she was a strong, independent woman, he wanted open communication between them.

"He told me he doesn't love Melissa. It's someone else that he's taking an interest in."

Will knew who that someone else was without her having to say anything. Will knew that Jack still wanted Kate. It was plain today even in the car going to work.

"And I hate how he's doing this to her," she continued, her voice dipping into anger. "He's just pretending that he loves her! How can someone do that to a person?"

Will sympathetically held her close and stroked her hair. "His behavior has been unacceptable towards you, Kate."

"It's not me that you should be worrying about. Melissa is going to have her heart broken if she ever finds out that he doesn't love her. I mean, she really loves him, Will. And for him to just do that to her..."

Will hadn't talked to Melissa, except for when the four of them had gone up to the cabin last month, and at the party when she had a bit too much to drink. He knew that she was a nice woman, though, and no one deserved to be fooled that the one that they loved returned the feelings.

"It's going to be harder for her afterwards the longer he leads her on," she continued. "I'm tempted to have Jack get jealous...do you think I should introduce her to Beckett and hope for love at first sight between those two?"

Will gave his fiancée a glance. "I don't think that's quite the right direction, darling. She'll end up being angry at you for doing that while she loves Jack."

"What if I talk to her first and tell her how bad that Jack is for her?"

If it were Will, he wouldn't do anything. Melissa loved who she loved. But, no, his fiancée had not learned to keep some things to herself out of the best interests for others. Perhaps it was different when a friend loved someone whom you did not like.

"Do whatever you feel is best, my love," he said softly.

* * *

"Ah, look at what we 'ave 'ere," Jack said, picking up the empty container from Enjoy China that, just yesterday, was filled with kung pao chicken. He put the carton close to her. "Care fer some poisoned chicken, love?" 

Melissa rolled over onto her other side and buried her head into her pillow, her back facing Jack. She did not want to be reminded that she got food poisoning from kung pao chicken! She could never eat it again without thinking that she'd get re-poisoned.

"Get that away from me," she whined.

It was 9:45 in the evening now. She had a decent day at home, considering that she had food poisoning. She had laid in her bed and watched 'Rent' and 'The Phantom of the Opera' to get her excited to go to 'Hairspray'. She convinced herself that if she was motivated enough to go out tomorrow, she'd feel better. And she was feeling better as the day went on. She thought that maybe it was just a short stint of food poisoning. The website said the _average_ case of food poisoning lasted a couple of days. Well, her's apparently wasn't average. She only had the nausea and vomiting as a symptom, and that was only in the morning. That meant she'd be feeling better by tomorrow, right?

"Ah, what a shame," Jack said. "Looks like we won't get t' see ''Airspray' tomorrow. Isn't that just rotten luck, Mel? And I was startin' t' look forward t' it..."

Melissa rolled over to look at him. "I'm picking up the sarcasm. And no, we're still going. I'll be one hundred percent by tomorrow. It'll be like I never ate that chicken."

"Me? Sarcastic?" Jack climbed over her and got onto his side of the bed. "Ne'er!"

She chuckled. "You're going to 'Hairspray' still.."

"Mmm...I don't think so, love." He propped up on an elbow and put one hand on the other side of her pillow, his face hovering slightly above her's. "Ya need t' stay 'ome til ya get better. 'N' I can be th' one t' do that."

"Oh, and may I ask how you will get that task accomplished?"

"Cap'n Jack is all ya need," he said.

She couldn't help but laugh at his explanation. "You'd make a horrible doctor."

"A 'orrible doctor or excellent company?"

"Both. And, being the horrible doctor, you don't know that sick patients need their sleep. That means to stop teasing me with your face right there!"

Jack grinned. "Persuade me, darlin'."

She kissed him softly, putting a hand on his cheek and putting his head on his pillow and looked into his brown, kohl-rimmed eyes. "Goodnight, Jack."

* * *

Kate woke up at 12:19 on Saturday morning to hear Willy crying. Her and Will had things down to a science now: he would turn on the light, and she would scoop Willy up from his baby carrier, which was placed by Kate's side of the bed. Both would sit up: one would take care of Willy, while the other would keep the other company. 

"I've got him," she said. She un-velcroed the back of the doll's one-piece and stuck the key in. She was getting very tired with having little sleep for the past four days, but she didn't mind it as much as she thought she would. Maybe it was because she liked to think of it as her's and Will's.

After a few minutes, the baby cooed. Kate set it down beside her, but stayed sitting up. Will followed suit.

"Someday, this will be us," she said. "You and me...a child...we'll be a family."

Despite being woken up so many times since Tuesday evening, his brown eyes looked alert. And now, with the mention of a family, they smiled.

"Yes," he said. "A family."

Kate thought about having young children running about an apartment somewhere in New York a few years from now. Soon, they'd be bringing home pictures that they made from kindergarten that they would demand to be displayed on the refrigerator, and even, later, their first day of elementary school.

"This Baby Think It Over doll has really made me do some thinking," she said. She paused and looked into his eyes. With just that one sentence, they seemed to be clinging onto her every word.

"I've learned that I'm excited to have children," she smiled. "One that we can call our's."

A smile spread across Will's face. "I'm excited, too, darling."

"I want one that you and I can take care of and get up for in the middle of the night and watch horrible home shopping programs while we wait for it to go back to sleep. I want to buy clothes for it right when I find out that I'm pregnant. I want us to decorate a nursery together and have it a pirate theme if it's a boy. Most of all, I just want a child...with you."

Kate's confession caught even herself off-guard. She had been feeling this way nearly the entire week, but she didn't know how or when she was going to say it. And, like the most genuine things, one couldn't plan it. It just came out.

Will's eyes went from happy to surprised, then to ecstatic. "Kate!" he breathed. "That's...amazing!" He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"We'll have to wait until I'm done with modeling, so I can be with them. But I've learned that I want them."

"Oh, darling...that's so wonderful!" he whispered, still hugging her.

"I know that feeling now that you had when we first talked a week ago about a family. I'm feeling it right now."

"I don't want to wait ten years," he said.

"Neither do I," she agreed.

She felt unable to sleep now, knowing that Will knew that she wanted children. She reached for the blue notebook and pen on top of her bed and opened to a spare page in the back.

"How about we make a list of names? Ten years from now, we'll look at this and remember the night where we first wrote these down."

Will chuckled. "Let's."

She took the blue cap off of the pen and stuck it on the end. "How many kids?"

"Ten," he said.

Kate laughed at the memory of how he told her the first time that he wanted ten. "Will, you're going to kill me if I have to deliver ten! What about two?"

"Can we do a compromise and make it five?"

"For now," she said, a smile playing at her lips. "I have a feeling that number will go down the closer the time comes to adding members to our family."

She wrote, on separate sides of the paper, "Boys" and "Girls", then wrote the numbers one through five under the headings.

"Alright, boys names to start out with," she said.

"I thought we could name one William after my father."

"William Turner III. How sophisticated." She wrote William under boys.

"What about Braden?" he asked. "I had a friend back in England named Braden."

"Mmm...I'm not sure about Braden. What else?"

"You suggest one," he said.

She tapped her pen against her notebook. She had never really considered names for a child before. She wondered how long Will had been thinking about them.

"Ethan," she said. "It's a good, strong name."

"That's a fine name," he agreed.

She wrote Ethan down on the paper.

"Caleb?" he suggested.

Caleb was name number three.

"I've fallen in love with the name Noah after 'The Notebook'," she said.

Will nodded. Name number four became Noah.

"Jacob?" he asked

Their list of boys was complete. They moved onto the girls names – Kate's personal favorite.

"What about Abigail?" she asked. "It's such a sweet name."

"It is," Will said.

Abigail became name number one.

"Bailey?" Will asked.

"Not so much."

"Alright, forget Bailey, then. What about...Olivia?"

Olivia was written down on the list.

"Hannah," she said. "It's a good, simple name."

Will agreed.

Both were quiet. It was hard to think of names for their future children.

"Paige?" he asked.

"You are horrible!" she said. "Paige Turner? What is she, an author?"

"You're right, the poor girl would get teased mercilessly. What about Hailey?"

"An improvement."

One name to go.

"Emily," she said. "Such a cute name!"

"Wonderful!"

She smiled and looked at their completed list. "Alright, for boys, we have William, Ethan, Caleb, Noah, and Jacob. For girls, we have Abigail, Olivia, Hannah, Hailey, and Emily."

"They all sound beautiful to me, my love."

With that, a tired Kate closed her notebook, while both laid back down, Will on top of the sheets like the gentleman he was.


	21. A Wonder

Chapter Twenty-One

A Wonder

**Sorry this one's so short!**

* * *

At 6:45 Saturday morning, Melissa woke up to a feeling of nauseousness again. She slowly sat up. She couldn't really feel like throwing up again, could she? Melissa hadn't felt nauseous at all in the afternoon or evening yesterday. And just twenty-four hours ago, she had discovered that she had food poisoning. She hadn't thrown up since then! 

_This has _got_ to be the weirdest case of food poisoning_, she thought, running to the bathroom to throw up.

After she was sure the food poisoning was done having it's fun with her, she flushed and leaned against the cool tub, which was a relief against her hot skin. Her fingers felt like they were falling asleep; they felt slightly prickly, just like whenever she had thrown up. Melissa sighed and closed her eyes. She felt horrible. Then again, she had felt horrible yesterday morning, but she got better as the day went on.

She stood up and went back into bed. There was no way that she was going to go back to sleep after having her food poisoning make another surprise visit. She sat up and turned on the television, lowering the volume to a level that wouldn't wake Jack. Melissa turned to CMT and watched a music video by Martina McBride.

"Did yer food poisonin' make it's li'l 'ppearance 'gain?" Jack asked.

Melissa was somewhat surprised to see that he was awake already. She hoped she didn't wake him while either bolting out of bed or getting back in and turning on CMT.

"Yeah," she said, diverting her attention to Jack. "I think if this doesn't stop by Monday evening, I'm going to make an appointment to see what's going on. But I suppose if it's food poisoning, I just have to wait it out. It's supposed to be gone within a couple of days, or so the site said."

"Darn th' luck, no ''Airspray' t'day," Jack said.

"If I'm feeling better, we're going! The movie doesn't start for six more hours."

"But I don't like singin'! I didn't like 'Moulin Rouge' or 'Chicago.'"

"And you didn't like kung pao chicken."

"Ya didn't like 'Live Free or Die 'Ard.'"

"I don't like how much you drink."

"It's a wonder we're still t'gether."

Jack was right. Not only were they opposites, but for being together nearly two months, they seemed to fight nearly every few days. Of course, their fights didn't last long, since they made up pretty quickly.

"It's because I love you," she said, "and I'm not going to give you up that easily."

* * *

As the hours passed, Melissa felt better. She didn't feel nauseous anymore, and she was growing more excited to go to her movie of choice – 'Hairspray'. Last week she had to go 'Live Free or Die Hard' and hear Jack talking to the movie about shutting up. If she ever needed proof that he was crazy, that was it right there. Not only did people agree with him, but she had the embarrassment of actually knowing the person who made the statement. 

Plus, she was the only girl in the theater.

Melissa put on a mauve colored tank top and brown shorts, while Jack wore a brown t-shirt that read "Here I am. Now what were your other two wishes?" and a pair of jeans.

"How charming," Melissa said, noticing his shirt of choice.

"Isn't it, though?" he replied.

The two of them arrived at the theater at 12:25. Jack paid for the tickets, while Melissa bought the popcorn.

"I don't get why they call this payment form Dutch," Jack said. "A lad 'n' a lass splittin' the cost has nothin' t' do with the Netherlands."

"I don't know. Maybe the Dutch started it."

"Those crazy Dutch...thinkin' o' 'creative' ways o' splittin' th' cost."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "I'm sure the Dutch are deeply offended."

* * *

Kate did not want to spend her weekend stuffing wedding invitations in envelopes and sealing them shut with a golden sticker. She could be out doing something more fun with Will. But really, this was probably the least stressful of the bunch. Making a wedding registry wouldn't be easier, but it would provide for a bit more entertainment than the daunting task of stuffing forty envelopes for the sixty-eight guests that were to requested to attend their wedding. 

"Seven weeks until our wedding," Will said.

Was it really only seven weeks that they would be exchanging vows in front of (hopefully) sixty-eight people? She had so much left to do! She had to finish planning the rest of the wedding, buy the dresses, have Will buy the tuxedos, get Will his drivers licence, complete Will's portfolio to hopefully get him the job to work as a photographer for Anthropologie, buy a house next weekend, shop for their furniture, and make their wedding registry – forty-five days before they had to leave for Florida! And even then, their work wasn't done. She had to confirm her plans with the hotel staff, and go sign a marriage license down at a courthouse with Will.

She was stressed. Eighteen-year-olds were not meant to do this! They were not meant to plan a wedding in two months time. They probably shouldn't even be planning a wedding at all. It was better than the alternative though: waiting a year to get married when they could be doing so now.

"It's crazy," she said. "1:00...I wonder what you and I'd be doing exactly seven weeks from now."

"The wedding is at 6:30 in the evening...I'm sure that Jack would be telling me to have a drink and relax."

She laughed. Surprisingly, she could see Will nervous and pale as a ghost a few hours before their wedding, and Jack handing him whatever alcohol he had on hand. "I'd probably be toying with the clock and fool myself into thinking that time's going faster. But do not show up drunk for our wedding!"

"I won't even have a sip," he promised.

"Good. That's what I like to hear." She sealed an envelope. "You're not having any cold feet yet, are you?"

"No. You're not, are you?"

"I don't intend to," she said.

She sealed another envelope and thought about dresses. Whenever she wasn't talking to someone who worked at Trump International about the wedding, she was looking at wedding dresses. She had thought about a sheath dress. Kate had heard that looked wonderful on thin frames, such as herself, as well as a ball-gown type. A sheath dress would probably look best on a beach setting, but a ball-gown would look so beautiful, too!

Her and Melissa would be going to Rush's Bridal in Minneapolis August 11 to look at bridal dresses. After Kate had (hopefully) found the perfect one, they would go to Bridal Center, which was also in Minneapolis, for Melissa's bridesmaid gown. All that was needed was a fitting to see which size was best for her. Melissa was a small girl, so it probably wouldn't be difficult. Plus, it was a strapless empire waist, so the bust was really the most important thing to fit.

Kate thought about signing a marriage licence at the courthouse with him. She guessed that was when she would hit her that they were really getting married in a few days time.

Forty-nine days time until she could be called Kate Turner.

Forty-nine days until she would walk down the aisle to meet her fiancé and say the words that would change them forever.

Forty-nine days left of Kate's short-lived bachelorette life.

* * *

"That was so much fun!" Melissa said as they came out of the theater at 2:30. "Don't you think so?" 

Jack did not think that 'Hairspray' was fun. It was singing and dancing for two bloody hours with God-awful clothing. Jack was positive he had lost a few brain cells in the process.

"No," he said.

"I'm getting the soundtrack on Monday during my break. After I saw 'Chicago' for the first time, I couldn't stop listening to _that_ soundtrack."

"So e'erytime ya see one o' those new musicals, ya buy the soundtrack 'n' learn all the songs?"

"No, just a musical I love. But didn't you like the sixties fashions? I thought they were so neat!"

Jack rolled his eyes. He didn't want to hear anymore talk of 'Hairspray.'

"Yer obviously feelin' better," Jack said, before Melissa could talk any more about 'Hairspray'.

"I am, actually. Still tired, but not sick."

"Yer tired b'cause yer tense. Ya need t' stop bein' so tense! 'N' yer gettin' better 'cause o' th' food poisonin' leavin' ya."

"Oh, really, Dr. Sparrow?"

Jack's face scrunched up. "I don't like that name."

"Good. You're not meant to be one, either."


	22. Melissa Finds Out

Chapter Twenty-Two

Melissa Finds Out

The title of the chapter says it all. I just hope it lives up to it's expectation.

* * *

Monday was now upon Kate and Will. Once in an abandoned warehouse, where the photo shoot was to take place that day, Kate went to a different room to get ready for the shoot. Will was by himself with Jacques, a man a bit shorter than himself, with greying hair and sharp blue eyes. Jacques's eyes reminded him of Mr. Sims's.

"So, _Monsieur _Turner, you wish to be a photographer?" he asked.

Will noticed that Jacques had a French accent, which was relatively thick.

"Yes," Will said, "I do."

Jack flipped opened the portfolio and looked at the first page.

"Is this _Mademoiselle _Kate?" Jacques asked.

"Yes."

Jacques looked through the portfolio and stopped to examine each picture, then muttered something in French.

"_Anglais, s'il vous plait?_" Will said, grasping at straws. That was about as much French as Will knew. He was not bilingual in the slightest. Then again, Will never had the need to. Port Royal was an English colony, even though it was near Spain's colonies. He knew a few basic words, but that was the extent of his vocabulary in other languages.

"Ah, I apologize. I have a rather bad habit of doing that." Jacques flipped through the last few pages. He finally got to the one with Kate and the robe. That was by far his favorite picture of her. Her adventurous nature showed through in that one the most. Her green eyes were locked with the lens. Once you caught a glimpse of them, one couldn't look away.

"And _monsieur_ took these himself?" Jacques asked.

"Yes, I did. Are they alright?"

"They are very beautiful, _Monsieur_ Turner."

Will smiled. "A photographer does always like to hear that his work is appreciated."

Jacques laughed heartily, then clasped him on the shoulder, startling him. "I am a photographer myself, William! Of course I can appreciate your work!"

Will laughed nervously. "Th-That's wonderful."

"Now..." Jacques closed the brown portfolio. "I will send these off, and by next week I will give you an answer – which I assume will be only excellent, no? Will you be here next week for the news?"

"Yes. I will."

The thought of knowing just next week what would happen with his future excited him. Would he really get the job in New York? His heart started to race just at the thought.

"You are very lucky," Jacques said. "Not many people trying to be photographers get to go on a photo shoot." He adjusted his camera, peered through it, then walked over to the computer. "But since you didn't go to photography school..." He typed something in. "This will be very helpful."

After he showed Will everything that he could about photography on set, Kate came out. Her chestnut hair was wavy, and she was in a black dress that skimmed her knees. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

Kate smiled at both of them. Will wanted to keep that smile on her face forever. She had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"Ready?" she said to Jacques.

* * *

Melissa tapped her pen against the counter near her computer. It was 12:30, and so far, she had only helped check in six animals. How boring could this get? Really, being home on Friday was a hundred times more exciting than this! Then again, she got to watch "Rent" and "The Phantom of the Opera", even if she did have food poisoning. 

This had to have been a weird case of the flu – it had been around for about a week and a half now, if one included the fatigue. Didn't the flu make a person tired? Or was that stress...? She wasn't sure yet. No, it had to be stress. Her period was two weeks late! But even as stressed as she could get, like finals to graduate, she still had her period.

Wait. She had swollen, tender breasts, she was constantly tired, and she was sick – only in the morning!

Melissa dropped the pen that she was tapping. She felt the color drain from her face, and her breathing became shallow.

No. She could not be pregnant! She was eighteen and about to start her freshman year of college – this was _not_ the time for her to get pregnant! Seven years after college and when she had a stable job, yes. But not now!

She told herself that she was overreacting. Maybe she wasn't pregnant. Maybe she was just exhausting herself.

_No, Melissa_, she told herself. _Don't even start! You're lying to yourself if you think it's stress now!_

It would make sense, though. Jack didn't even know about protection, and she had never bothered to go on birth control. How could she have been so irresponsible?! They had said that in health class that if you were going to have sex, at least use protection – which she didn't.

She took a deep breath in and out in an effort to try and calm her racing heart. She was starting to feel nauseous all over again.

This couldn't really be happening, could it? Melissa couldn't be realizing that she was pregnant while at work at the vet's office!

With shaky hands, she picked up her brown bag and slung it over her shoulder. And, in a voice that she couldn't even recognize as her own, she called out, "I'm taking my lunch break now!"

Melissa went out to her car and drove a mile to Target. She walked through the air conditioned doors. She stuck her clammy, shaking hands in the front pocket of her jeans and walked past the baby's clothing. Would she be shopping here soon for their baby?

She didn't even want to think of the possibility that she was pregnant. Jack would be a horrible father – he himself admitted it! Knowing him, he'd probably switch out formula to rum in the baby's bottle.

She walked into the health and beauty section and went to the feminine care aisle. Above the pregnancy tests, she saw that there was a whole assortment of condoms.

_Sure, you put those on top where you can see them so that you won't have to reach down and grab a test! _she thought bitterly. 

There were so many different kinds of tests. Which one was best? How many tests was one supposed to buy? What if the first one didn't work?

Melissa felt like she was going to have a panic attack. Everything she had learned in the past five minutes was overwhelming, and now she was expected to pick a pregnancy test?

_You're overreacting,_ she told herself. _Relax!_

She grabbed down and picked up a three pack for eighteen dollars, and headed to the checkout counter. Melissa couldn't believe it. She was actually buying a pregnancy test.

As the test went down the conveyer belt, Melissa wondered where she should take it. She was _not_ going to take it in the bathroom at Target. She would not find out that she's pregnant in this store! She wanted to know right now, though! Melissa would take it at home, when Jack wasn't around. She had a feeling that she would need to be by herself when she found out.

She would take the test, think of a good time to talk, and say that she was pregnant. No...would it be better to tell him that there was a possibility that she was pregnant, then take the test with him? No, that wouldn't be right either.

No possibility seemed right! Why did Jack have to be the father of their possible child? It would have been so much easier with anyone else!

_This could be just a scare _, she thought, trying to reassure herself. _It could be nothing. You're not that regular, anyway._

_But have you been nauseous when you're late? _the other side of her brain argued.

The boy, who appeared to be sixteen or so, scanned the pregnancy test, then put it in the bag, and handed it to her.

"Uh...do you want the receipt with you or in the bag?"

_You and I both know that I won't need to return a pregnancy test_, she thought. 

"I'll take it," she said, putting it in her pocket.

* * *

Jack wasn't quite sure how much time he had left before Kate and Will got married, but he knew that it wasn't long. He didn't want to see her married off to that eunuch! Alright, so Kate wasn't too keen about giving dear William the boot and having him replace Jack, although he wasn't sure why. Not to sound arrogant, but who wouldn't pass up an offer like that?

And he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand Melissa's boring, musical-filled, non-adventurous lifestyle. He needed something like Kate, and Melissa needed something like The Eunuch.

They could do what Jack had proposed a month and a half ago to Kate: they could make a trade. He was sure that Melissa wouldn't miss him _that_ much.

Now, the only question at hand was when he was going to actually to do the deed and tell her it was over between them. He could do it tomorrow evening. Yes, there would probably be yelling on both parts and slapping on her part, but he could then seek shelter with Kate, and have the rest write itself.

Just one day left of being tied down, then he would be as free as the sparrow that nature intended him to be.

* * *

For the rest of the day at work, Melissa couldn't focus on anything else other than that she was, probably, pregnant. She wondered what Jack's reaction would be. Her biggest fear right now was not how they were going to manage money or how her parents were going to find out, but the reaction of her boyfriend. Would he laugh it off as a joke, saying that Captain Jack Sparrow could not possibly get a girl pregnant? Or would he back out and not claim responsibility? Or, hopefully, would he promise to help her and be there for the baby (although that didn't sound much like him)? 

Melissa was nervous to even see him today. It'd be hard to look at him without thinking that she was more than likely pregnant with his child.

This was too much for her! She needed to be focused on school this year, not deciding how she was going to bring up her baby!

If the test came back positive, she was keeping it, no matter what. She was not going to give it up for adoption, nor have an abortion. An abortion went against everything that she believed in. She, being the conservative that she was, had been pro-life for as long as she could remember. She was going to raise the baby, even if it was by herself!

_You never think that it'll happen to you_, she thought. _You fool around a few times, and a few weeks later, you get morning sickness -- which you, Melissa, stupidly mistook for food poisoning._

She was getting more and more anxious to take the test. Maybe she could take it today, even. She could leave early on accounts of feeling ill (very true; at just the thought of finding out she was pregnant, she felt like she would throw up), then take the test.

At 3:00, after getting permission (and encouragement) to go home, Melissa left. She could hardly concentrate on the driving. Melissa did not want to see that test come out positive, even though she was sure it would. She couldn't have a child now! She just couldn't!

As soon as Melissa got home, she took the test. The instructions said that she had to wait several minutes until the results showed up. That was fine. She was in no rush to get Jack. She didn't have to pick him up until 5:00.

To distract herself, Melissa thought back to yesterday. Yesterday was fun with 'Hairspray' and Jack. Now, today was terrifying. She wasn't sure if she had ever been this scared in her life, waiting for the test's results.

After the several minutes required, and after she gathered the strength to even go back to the bathroom and check it, she stood up. She prepared herself for the worst: that she was indeed pregnant. It'd be a chance for her and Jack could be a family, at least. And in just a nine months time, she could have a baby boy or girl, one she and Jack could call their's.

Yet, somehow, she hadn't prepared herself enough.

When she saw that the test clearly read "pregnant" and not "not pregnant", she became speechless. Her breath became shallow again, and her hands started to shake. She dropped the test on the counter.

"Shit," she squeaked.

It didn't even phase Melissa that the first time she swore was when she found out that she was pregnant. She didn't realize that she was crying, or how different her life would be in nine months. She couldn't even think that she was going to have a baby with a man that she had known for less than two months. All the could think of was "How do I tell Jack?"

* * *

Melissa was quiet the other way home. Jack noticed that she looked distant and scared. Why should she be acting like that? Was she thinking of ending things with him, too?

"Are ya goin' t' get fired?" Jack asked.

"What?" Melissa asked. "What makes you think I'm going to be fired?"

Jack shrugged. "Yer quiet...got that look in yer eye..."

"No, it's just..." She shook her head. "It's nothing."

Jack didn't like hearing "it's nothing" come from a woman. It was always bad news. They were either mad, had something big to tell you, at you or wanted to end things with you. And, probably, in this case, it would be the ending things.

"What is it?" Jack egged. All the better, he saw it as. He'd be that much closer to being with Kate. "Tell me..."

"I don't want to tell you."

"Ah, so it is something, but you won't tell me 'cause ya think nothin's wrong."

She sighed. "I do want to tell you."

"Then tell me! Out with it!"

She shook her head. "Not now."


	23. Jack Finds Out

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jack Finds Out

Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

Melissa knew she was pregnant. To be exact, after some research of how to calculate, she was supposedly six weeks along. She found it hard to believe that she had no clue that she was pregnant. Looking back, it all made sense. She had been fatigued for a few weeks. Melissa realized now that that was not due to stress. And even though her period was a bit irregular, she should have known that even though it was a week and a half off, that was strange, even for her. And, even though she was finally gaining a chest now, it was not necessarily for the reasons that she wanted it to be.

She started becoming paranoid that she was showing already. How long would it be until people noticed? How would her parents react? How could she even begin to tell them that the father was someone thirteen years older than her?

She knew that she and Jack would have to find a place of their own if they were going to keep the child – which they were. Melissa was _not_ going to have an abortion or give it up for adoption. Maybe during the pregnancy they could rent a house, and then once they actually had the child and knew how much room they would need, they could buy a home.

Marriage was going to be very important for Melissa. She had been raised in a uber-Christian household, and was always told to save herself until marriage. And, since that no longer applied, she knew that it would only be right to marry the father. She knew that Jack would refuse to get married. It was important to her for their unborn child to have a stable home, although Jack would probably think otherwise. The most he would do is live with them and help take care of the child. Wasn't that like being married? Most marriages that were made solely because a child was on the way usually resulted in divorce, anyway.

Melissa made a mental note to go to the doctor and make sure that she was pregnant. Maybe there would be one near the university that would be easy to get to?

She wondered how Jack would react when she told him tonight. She was terrified to see his reaction. Would he want her to get an abortion? Would he say that there was no way that he was raising a child? Melissa didn't know what to expect.

Thinking about Jack's reaction and how she was going to raise a child was starting to scare her the more she thought about it. Would she have to drop out of college for a semester – or even a whole school year? – to take care of their child?

Melissa had to wonder when she conceived. Was it on July 7 (her first time), or was it in the laundry room at Dani's? She would probably never know, and, frankly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know if she got pregnant in a laundry room while drunk.

Thinking back to that night, she remembered that Jack promised her a black pearled necklace if she could finish her cup of rum. That was very difficult to go through nearly all of it – it was her first drink, and it was hard liquor!

What would Jack suggest they name their child? She was not going to name their child Pearl if it was a girl, no matter how bad he wanted the name. She was the one who would have to go through labor for it; it was ultimately her decision!

She ran over ways of how to tell Jack that she got pregnant in her head.

Jack, I'm pregnant.

Of course not! Horrible, bad, terrible idea! That was not the right way to tell him, even though it would cut out the pretense and get right to the point.

Jack, you know that food poisoning I've had for the past few days? Well, that hasn't been food poisoning at all...you see, I'm not sure when it happened, exactly, but you got me pregnant.

No...that wouldn't work, either.

Jack, you remember how you and I were talking about moving in together? Well, we have to soon, if we're going to at all. You see, we're going to need an extra room. A nursery. For our baby.

No, that wasn't right, either. Gosh, how would Melissa tell Jack something this important? Could she bring home a baby onesie and give it to him? She just didn't know!

She decided to take a break from thinking of how to break the news to him and call a doctor's office to set up an appointment.

* * *

With Willy in tow, Kate stepped in Beckett's office that day, prepared to give him away. Kate was really going to miss him, even if it was just a robot and had been part of the "family" for a week. It taught her that she wanted children with Will, even though they would have to wait, since her career would make it very difficult.

"Miss Sims," Beckett said. "May I inquire as to how taking care of the child went?"

"It went wonderfully," she replied honestly.

Even though the child had deprived her of sleep, she would do it again in a heartbeat. She just wished that Willy was a real child.

Kate set the child down on the white couch that the couples sat.

"Are you and Turner still engaged?" Beckett asked.

"The ring's still on," she replied. Kate then pulled a small, thick, cream-colored envelope out of her purse, with "Cutler Beckett" printed on in gold letters, along with his address.

"And I wonder what this is," he mused, looking it over.

"A wedding invitation. You're the first of our guests to get it. They're being sent off today."

"Well, aren't I a lucky one to be invited to such an extravagant event?"

Kate couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, but, like most cases, she guessed that he was.

"It's going to be in Florida," she said. "The flight is leaving on September 12. All of the guests are leaving the same day, although we're not sure if we can get all of us in one flight. The wedding will take place at 6:30 in the evening on September 15. As soon as we get a reply card from you, we'll send you your ticket."

Kate tried to picture Beckett in a plane with her family going to a wedding. Somehow, she just couldn't see Beckett having a good time, stuck between two of her boisterous grandparents.

"I will be counting the days, I assure you," Beckett said.

Kate smiled. "I'm sure you will be."

* * *

The day seemed to go by too quickly for Melissa. She still hadn't figured out a good way to tell Jack that she was pregnant. She had stalled and made an appointment at the obstetrician's to confirm that she was, indeed, pregnant on Thursday at a clinic near the University of Minnesota. 

During her lunch break, she had gotten prenatal vitamins to take home. How would she hide them from Jack before she told them? He _was_ a very nosy person, after all.

Melissa had called Kate to confirm that he was going to be able to take Jack home Wednesday and Thursday, since she would be busy with orientation at college, and, on Thursday, her first appointment.

The closer that 5:00 came, the more nervous that Melissa became. She didn't want to tell Jack. At just the thought of sitting him down and telling him the news, she became more and more nervous. Melissa had never thought of how to tell a man that she was pregnant. She had always assumed that it would be her husband, and both would be overjoyed that they were expecting. Instead, it was Jack, who most certainly was not her husband, and Melissa couldn't be more scared if she tried!

As soon as the clock turned to 5:00, Melissa sighed, shut down her computer, picked up her purse, and left, all with a racing heart.

* * *

As soon as Jack got home, he was told to go downstairs and not come out until both parents came out. To pass the time, Jack watched the news, which reported nothing of interest. It was all boring – the extent was the governor talking about a bill that he wanted passed._This gov'nor doesn't wear a wig like Swann did, _Jack couldn't help but wonder. 

It took half an hour later until he heard the voices of Melissa's parents. Jack realized that he had only seen Melissa's parents twice: when they first came back from New York in early June, and when he came back from the park the very same day with Melissa. He couldn't remember what they looked like, their encounter had been so brief.

Another twenty minutes or so went by until Melissa came down to her bedroom and opened the door.

"They're gone," she said. "They've gone out to get Subway. We have about twenty minutes."

Jack knew that now was the time so tell Melissa. He needed to say it so badly!

"I have to talk to you," she said. "I'm not sure how you're going to take it, so...please hear me out before you say anything, alright?"

Aww, bugger! Melissa had to say something, too? No, Jack had to say something more important!

"So do I," Jack said. "Mine is _very_ urgent."

"Great!" Melissa said. "Uh...why don't you go first?"

She sat next to him on the foot of the bed, her hands folded in her lap, her blue eyes intent. Jack couldn't help but wonder what exactly she thought that he was going to say, but by her body language, it sure wasn't this.

"Ya see, love, sometimes..."

Melissa's face started getting pale. Did she realize that he wanted to end things already? He didn't know the lass was that smart.

"Er, e'en though a woman may love a man very much, and the man can seem likes 'e loves th' woman very much by 'is actions –"

Melissa got up quickly and ran to the bathroom. How impolite! Couldn't she at least wait until he was done telling her things were done? He could cry in front of her, if that's what she was doing. And he was fine with a slap, even if he didn't think he fully deserved it.

Wait, no, she wasn't crying...she was puking! Had that food poisoning still not left her? Had she called the doctor yet?

Curious, Jack got up to check on her. He found her flushing the toilet and leaning back against the tub, eyes closed. He didn't know how to continue their talk now.

Melissa opened her eyes, and locked eyes with him.

"I don't have food poisoning," she said, putting a hand on her stomach.

"Ah, the flu, then," Jack said. "Well, let's just –"

"It's not the flu, either. I'm afraid it's going to last a bit longer than that."

Confused, Jack took a seat next to her on the hard tiled floor.

"I'm pregnant," Melissa said.

Melissa was pregnant? No, that was impossible! Jack Sparrow was not going to become a father! He had been with many women before her, and the Saint was not going to be the one to become pregnant by him! Surely she was joking!

Jack laughed. "Good one, Mel! Now, as I was sayin' –"

"I'm serious, Jack. I'm pregnant."

Alright, so maybe she wasn't joking. What does a man say when he finds out that the girl he spent nights with is with child?

"Good luck with that, then," he said.

"You're the father!" she said, almost insulted that he would say that.

"Oh."

He didn't know what else to say. He was the father of Melissa's – and now, his – unborn child, and he was none too excited about becoming a father. That meant having to be tied down to one woman! Jack couldn't do that – not Captain Jack Sparrow!

"Well, eh..."

"And I'm keeping it," she said. "I want us to raise it. Us three can be a family."

No! There was no way, not for all the rum in the world, that he would "be a family." Jack didn't even want to be with Melissa anymore, and here she was, asking for a lifetime commitment!

"I was going to tell you tonight, I swear. I was just so nervous...and then you had something to tell me, and I was looking for anything to stall...and then I had my morning sickness in the evening..."

Splendid. Right when Jack thought he only had the last few seconds before freedom, and, ultimately, Kate, Melissa says that she pregnant and wants to "be a family." That did not figure quite right into Jack's calculations. He wasn't sure that it was right to just abandon his pregnant partner, no matter how annoying she could be. Hadn't Elizabeth once said that he was a good man? And, in return, hadn't he said that he liked to wave those moments as they passed by? Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if he could wave this one as it passed. Melissa would take a very long time to explain why exactly he needed to stay with her for the child's sake, and, if he indeed did leave her, Kate probably would threaten to make him a eunuch, after getting over the initial shock that he got her very close friend pregnant.

"Mine pales in comparison to yer news," Jack said.

There! Elizabeth would be proud of him. He had the chance to do the right thing finally, regardless if it may be for possible threats from the she-devil named Kate.

"What are you thinking right now?" she asked. "Right this second? I mean, are you scared, or are you thinking about us...?"

Jack was thinking that he had no way around this. This was like the Kraken: there was no way out of this debt. Except this was much different: he was now dealing with being a father, something he hadn't given any thought to when he made love to Melissa. It just never crossed his mind that Captain Jack Sparrow could become a father.

"A family," he said.

"But are you scared?"

"O' course I'm scared! It's normal t' be scared...right?"

She nestled up to him and nodded. "I'm really scared."

Jack put an arm around her shaking body. He heard her sniffling. He could tell she was crying.

"I found out yesterday afternoon," she said. "That's why I was so quiet...I didn't know what to say."

Melissa wasn't thinking about ending things with him yesterday. Instead, she was just in shock from finding out she was pregnant – understandable.

"'N' ya want t' keep it?"

She nodded. "I do. I want to raise it and see it grow..." She wiped her eyes. "I'm just so scared right now. I don't know how to tell my parents. I mean, they're strict Christians. They'll have a heart attack!"

"So, they don't know that we..."

"Of course not! I wouldn't dare tell them that. Any other set of parents, I could tell them, but no. Not them. I just don't know how to! I have to tell them soon. I mean, I'll start showing fairly soon, and you and I are probably going to rent a house...I'm terrified to tell them!"

Jack had a feeling that he wouldn't be very welcome at Christmas with the family. He could just imagine her father giving him the evil eye all through dinner.

"Just promise you'll stand by me," she whispered.

He knew that he would have to make changes over the next months, but for the sake of Melissa and their baby; he had no choice to.

Jack removed his hand from her shoulder and put it on her stomach. He couldn't believe that their child was growing in there. It was so small now...how could it be that in nine months, it would be a living thing that they could hold and touch?

"I can't promise many things t' ya, Mel, but I can promise ya that."

Jack noticed that her eyes became teary again, this time he had a guess that it wasn't completely out of fear.

* * *

**In case you were wondering, no, Melissa didn't tell her parents yet. Just didn't want to confuse you all!**


	24. It Could Be Worse, Part I

Chapter Twenty-Four

It Could Be Worse, Part I

**Yes, this is a two-part chapter. I was initially planning on making this one chapter, but halfway through, I realized that it would probably be too long and confusing. So, with that being said, here's part one!**

* * *

"You do know I won't be home until later, right?" Melissa asked Jack, while fixing her hair into a single braid that ended right above her breasts. She was in the bathroom, whereas he was just getting up. 

"I know, I know," Jack said from her bedroom. "Ye've told me that all week."

"I'm just making sure you remember." She grabbed a black ponytail holder and tied it at the end of her braid. "Orientation should be finished at 4:30, maybe 5:00, but I'm probably going out with friends from school afterwards. We might be going into St. Paul for some pizza or we might go somewhere near the campus. Don't hesitate to call my cell, I'll have it on the entire day."

She met his dark eyes in the mirror. "I know."

She smiled. "I"m just making sure you remember."

"'Ow can I remember if ye've told me e'eryday this week?"

"Kate and Will are going to pick you up at 5:00," she continued, ignoring his comment. "Kate knows the code to get into the garage, so she'll be able to sneak you in before my parents get home. As soon as you get home, go into my room and close the door. Keep the television on a low level so my parents don't suspect anything when they come home. And _whatever_ you do, don't tell Kate!"

"B'cause ya want t' tell 'er yerself, I know."

She smiled. She hadn't really thought about when she would tell Kate. Melissa hadn't even told her that Jack had "deflowered" her.

"Did you realize," he purred, "that two months ago t'day, ya were throwin' CDs at me 'n' threatenin' me?"

It was August 1 already. She could hardly remember life before Jack. She didn't know how at the time how much he would change her.

Subconsciously, she put a hand on her stomach. Her thoughts were a _bit_ more relaxed about the baby, but there were still plenty of worries at hand.

"Yer not showin' yet," he said. "No worries, love."

"I know," she said, putting her hands in her pocket. "It's hard to believe that's going to change."

"'Ny cravin's yet?" he asked.

"I've had the urge for an apple all morning," she confessed.

"An apple?" Jack repeated.

"See, I checked upstairs, and we only have red apples. I'm craving green ones."

"Green...apples," Jack repeated slowly. "Not red...just green apples...like what Barbossa 'ad on my bloody ship?"

"Precisely. I'll pick those up after I come home. Maybe tomorrow, we'll see how everything goes. But I should probably wait outside. Becca and Ashley will be here any minute." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll talk to you later."

"Wait – ye're not really making me ride with th' wench 'n' the eunuch, are ya? They'll listen to Aerosmith 'n' James Blunt!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they won't. Besides, it could be worse." She walked into her room and slung her dark brown bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Work was finally the first time that Jack got the chance to think about names for their unborn child. He thought that Pearl would best suit it if it was a girl. Would it only make sense that Captain Jack Sparrow name his possible daughter after the feared Black Pearl? 

Although, if it was a boy, Pearl wouldn't very well work. It sounded too...eunuchy. And he did not want people want thinking his son was a eunuch! He couldn't think of what to name their possible son. He mentally ran through the list of names of males he had come across in his life.

Bootstrap/Will (William) – William Sparrow did not sound right, even if Bootstrap was his best mate. Besides, Will Jr. was too much of a whelp.

Hector – No. There would be no reason to name his son Hector. Hector was the scum of the earth – he had stolen The Pearl from him and kept it for ten years!

James – That _was_ Norrington's first name, right? No. Why would he possibly want to name his son after a stuck-up commodore (even if he had changed sides)?

Cutler – Now, that was just a disaster waiting to happen. His son would be teased mercilessly!

Joshamee (aka Gibbs) – Now, the root name, Josh, wasn't horrible. In fact, Jack rather liked it. Perhaps he could twist the name somehow and make it Joshua.

Cotton – Now, who did he think that he and Melissa were, Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow? With any luck, Melissa would be determined to name their child Apple after her recent cravings.

Alright, so far, Joshua was the front runner. Now, onto girls.

Pearl – He dared someone to give him one reason as to why he shouldn't name their daughter after his ship. Jack was sure that Melissa could find about five or six reasons, though.

Elizabeth – Jack was not naming his daughter after that she-devil wench (even if she was one of the best pirates he had ever come across). Melissa would probably shoot that idea down, anyway.

Anamaria – Again, the name as a whole wasn't horrible. He would need to twist the name with Ana as the first name, and Maria as the middle name.

Katherine – Why would he name his daughter after that reincarnated she-devil Elizabeth? Melissa probably would be thrilled to, though.

Tia – In hopes of their child not wanting to become a voodoo priestess, he thought it'd be a good idea to skip that name.

And this was only thinking about names...what would it be like when they had to talk about them?

* * *

As Melissa walked onto the campus of the University of Minnesota, she pulled her cell phone out from her purse and put it on silent. She didn't want to make her mark by having her cell phone go off in the middle of everything.

"Oh, look, there's one of the halls!" her blonde friend, Becca, exclaimed, pointing to a dormitory.

"I'm not using a dorm. I'm living at home, remember?" Melissa reminded her. She put her phone back in her purse.

"I was talking about _me_," she smiled. "You are invited over any time for a quick hello, though!"

Melissa couldn't imagine living in a dorm. It was never quiet! She needed it to be quiet for her to study. And what if she didn't like her room-mate? No backing out, then!

She liked living at home better, with free board and food.

* * *

Will pulled into the parking lot of G. Will Liquors at 5:00. He breathed a sigh of relief as he parked the car up front. Today was the first day that he had driven on a highway.

Kate hugged him. "Great job!" she exclaimed.

"You're sure that I did fine?"

"You were going the speed limit and you didn't crash, so, yes, you did fine."

Kate heard the back door close and saw Jack buckling the seatbelt.

"Sorry fer interruptin' something," Jack said, "but I would love t' get 'ome before th' Lewes's find that I'm still livin' with their daughter."

Kate tucked a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. Will backed out of the parking lot. "You mean they assumed that your 'house' is all fixed?"

"Assumin' makes an –"

"Jack!" Will interrupted. "Please remember that there are not strictly men in this car!"

"But there is a strict man, _William_. 'N' besides, Katie's 'eard it all. She's called me worse than...what I was 'bout t' say."

Kate remembered the night she exploded at him at Dani's house and just the other day when she had called him numerous things that she was sure that Will would gape at her for if he heard.

Will, however, didn't seem bothered by this. "I suspect that you deserved each," he muttered.

"Ah, the whelp encourages ladies with a sailor's mouth! What a wonderful day this 'as become!"

Kate felt the urge to slap him. Were she in the backseat, she would be doing so.

"I do not encourage Katherine to talk like a sailor, Jack. I'm saying that I'm sure that she had very good reasons to call you such things."

Here the two of them were, fighting yet again. She was growing tired of hearing them fight like brothers who never agreed.

"I don't think she did," Jack said.

"Oh, please!" Kate interrupted. "Enough! You're grown men, what I say to the other is none of your business. If I didn't know better, you're two gossipy schoolgirls."

"Now, that's fine 'n' dandy ya call yer betrothed that, love –"

The car slowed down in the middle of the highway. Kate looked over at Will, who looked confused.

"Will, this is a highway," she explained calmly. "Now isn't the best time to stop."

"I'm not doing this..."

She looked at the gas indicator, and saw that it was in the red zone, flat at the bottom. Kate felt like hitting herself. How could she have forgotten to fill up?

"Pull over!" she said. "The gas is low. Go to the shoulder!"

Will did as he was told. The car just barely made it to the shoulder before the car stopped completely. Kate got out of the car and looked up at the cloudy sky that threatened rain at any moment. This is not what they needed!

Both men got out. Will looked embarrassed, whereas Jack looked plain angry.

"Great!" he said to Kate. "You trusted a eunuch with driving and look where it got us!"

"This is not his fault!" she said, poking him in the chest, looking him in his dark brown orbs. They were now nose to nose.

Will put a hand on Kate's arm. "Darling –"

Glad for the excuse to avoid an unpleasant conformation with Jack, with passerbys as witnesses, she stepped away from him and sat on the hood of the car, trying to think of a plan. If they could wait thirty more minutes, her father would be home. He could then go to the gas station and fill up the gas container that they used for the lawn mower. But with the sky the way it was, she wasn't sure if the rain would hold out long enough. And in rush-hour traffic, it would be another fifteen minutes to deliver the gas, when normally it was a hop, skip, and a jump away.

"Oi!" she heard Jack say. She turned around to see Jack waving his arms to attract the attention of the poor souls stuck in traffic. She wondered how it looked to see a dread locked maniac waving to get their attention. "Because o' Th' Eunuch, we ran out o' gas!"

She saw a few people giving him weird looks. She heard their silent cries for traffic to start moving to get away from this maniac.

"Jack!" Kate snapped, standing up. "We're going to have to push this to the gas station. It's only a block away, we can do it."

"Ya mean th' men. Ye'll be no help. Ya 'ave twigs fer arms. Love, there's a boy o'er there in a black car. 'Ow bout ya _persuade_ 'im t' get us some gas?"

"No! It will take longer for him to give it to us than if we do it ourselves."

"It's the best plan that we have," Will said. "Kate's right."

"But I don't want to push it!" Jack whined. "It looks heavy."

Kate didn't want to tell him that the car was, indeed, very heavy, although didn't know how heavy, since she never had to push one. Instead, she went to the rear of the car. Will followed her, while Jack stood at the side.

"Jack!" she said. "Get over here and help move this car!"

He sighed and put his hands in the air and walked to the rear of the car. "Fine!"

"Alright, on three," Kate led. "One, two, three!"

The three of them pushed together. The car went forward a foot or so.

"Again!" she said. "One, two, three!"

The three repeated this for about ten minutes until they arrived at the gas station. Will volunteered to fill up the tank, while Kate got flopped into the front seat, exhausted.

"Oh, quit actin' like ya put a ship through a 'urricane!" Jack said from the backseat.

Kate turned around. "You didn't do any pushing! Will and I pushed a two-thousand pound piece of steel for ten minutes. Is that how you ran your beloved ship, _Captain_?"

Jack gave her a look. "My, aren't we runnin' high on hormones."

"Oh, shut up," she mumbled.


	25. It Could Be Worse, Part II

It Could Be Worse, Part II

This is dedicated to all those affected by the 35-W bridge collapse. I was not there to see it, this is just what I gathered from the videos I saw and what I've read. I do know what it's like to think that a loved one is trapped in that, though. Thankfully, it was only a scare, but some were not so lucky.

-Sigh- Back to a serious chapter...

* * *

"No – Becca," Melissa protested to her friend dragging her in a blue car from a pizzeria in Minneapolis. "It's been a long day, can't I go home? I had my pizza with you, we caught up on what we did over the summer, and it was fun and all, but we can do this again tomorrow, too."

"The night is young!" her blonde friend, Becca, said. "It's 6:10! Come on, you wouldn't have minded before. Really, what's at home? Nothing."

Melissa popped a mint into her mouth and got in the car.

"I had to get up early, and I have to tomorrow, too," Melissa said.

"So do I," a red-haired Ashley pipped from the backseat. "We can go for a walk around the park in St. Paul, then go home. How's that? We've been cooped up all day."

Melissa gave in, not wanting to be a party pooper. She buckled her seatbelt.

"We'll just go on 35-W and we'll be there in a few minutes," Becca assured Melissa. "Don't worry. Just relax, okay, Mel? You don't seem to do that enough."

_How am I supposed to act lately? _she thought. _I'm pregnant and tired and want to get home!_

They took the lane to go on the 35-W bridge. The three got closer until it was in sight. They were two cars behind from going on it. All of a sudden, she heard something like steel creaking, and the bridge they were about to take vanishing, down to the waters. Just moments after, she saw a large spray of water come up. Melissa gasped out of shock and fear.

Through the open windows, she could hear an eerie silence. What had just happened? Melissa knew what she saw, but her brain couldn't fully comprehend it. Had she really seen a bridge – a supposedly strong, dependable bridge that took thousands of people to and from Minneapolis and St. Paul each day – collapse?

"Oh, my God," Becca breathed. She looked over at her wide-eyed friend.

Melissa saw people getting out of cars. In a trance-like state, she did the same. She saw people getting on their cell phones and heard people vaguely calling 911, reporting that a bridge had collapsed. It sounded so distant. Everything sounded muted and far away.

She knew that there were cars on the bridge. They could be dead right now, or trapped, either under the bridge or on top in the water.

"We have to get out of here," Ashley said.

"And where to?" Melissa responded. "We're stuck until the people at the end of the line start backing out. We can't."

This is not what Melissa needed. Stress was not good for her unborn child! She tried to stay calm, but she found it nearly impossible with seeing a bridge collapse in front of them. They were three cars away from being on the bridge. If Melissa had been more willing to go out, that would have been them. Who know what the outcome would be, then.

Seven minutes passed when she finally heard the first police siren. Sitting on the hood of her car, Melissa craned her neck and saw officers running out of their cars.

"What took you pigs so long?!" a man in a group next to her said to the officers.

Deciding that now was not the time to be in the middle of all this chaos, she got back into the passenger seat. Was this on television yet? Did Jack, Kate, or her parents know that the bridge had collapsed?

She pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed her home number. She couldn't even get a dial tone; she guessed that the cellular phone lines were too clogged with 911 calls and people trying to reach loved ones, like she was.

There was no way to let anyone know that she was alive. For all she knew, they could be thinking she was dead right now!

Panic rose in her. She didn't want anyone to think she was dead! She didn't even want anyone to think she was missing!

Melissa sighed again and swallowed the growing lump in her throat. She tried to remind herself that it could be so much worse. She could be in the water or crushed under that steel death trap right now. Melissa had no reason to start crying. She was alive.

"Melissa, I can't get through –" Becca began.

"Neither can I," Melissa interrupted. "We'll just have to wait."

* * *

After getting home just minutes before the Leweses, Jack had retreated downstairs, where he flipped on the television. He guessed that Melissa would be home by 6:00 or 6:30 at the latest, depending on how late they stayed at the restaurant.

6:00 slowly changed to 6:15. Jack boredly watched "Access Hollywood", something Melissa made him watch nearly every night. He was beginning to wonder when she was going to come back.

"Breaking news on FOX 9," the announcer said. The television changed from "Access Hollywood" to a news station. "We have just received word that the 35-W bridge, connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul, has just collapsed."

St. Paul. Wasn't that where Melissa said she would be? Or, she said she _would_ be going from Minneapolis to St. Paul. Would she be taking that bridge? Jack found it peculiar that she hadn't arrived home yet.

The reporter talked some more about what was going on, but that gave him no information on where Melissa was! What if she was in that heap of a bridge? Could she even be dead right now? Jack didn't much want to face that idea. He trusted Melissa too much to even entertain that idea.

"Everyone is encouraged to free up the phone line," the reporter continued. "Use phones only for emergency purposes."

"This _is_ an emergency," he said to the television. "Mel 'n' th' baby could be in it!"

He got off of their bed and reached for the green phone on top of the television. He dialed Melissa's cell phone number.

The rational side of his brain told him that she could just be coming home and there was nothing to worry about. But the rash side of his brain, for whatever reason, told him otherwise.

"We are sorry," the recording on the other end said, "the number you have dialed is temporarily out of service."

"_Yer_ out o' service!" Jack said, turning the phone off. He grew more worried. Was Melissa alright? She had to be.

Right?

Fifteen minutes passed, then twenty, then, before he knew it, it was 6:45 and Melissa was not yet here. Jack started getting even more nervous. If she was running late with her mates, surely she would have called. That was just Melissa's way!

He picked up the phone again and dialed. He got the same recording.

"Mel," he muttered. "Get yerself o'er 'ere _now_!"

* * *

Kate was tired. She was tired of being stressed planning this wedding, she was tired from pushing the car today, and she was tired of waiting to go to New York. They were a day and a half from leaving for the weekend to search for homes. She prayed that they would find The House. Nearly all of Saturday would be spent showing the homes, as well as a bit of Sunday. She wondered what that feeling would be like to find The House. Would she know it right when she walked in the door, or would she know it after seeing the final room?

Kate was packing her suitcase for New York when she heard Will walking quickly down the hallway.

"Kate, you need to see this," he said from her doorway.

She turned around and saw the panic in his face. "What's happening?"

"Come out to the living room."

She rose from sitting cross-legged by the suitcase on the floor and went out to the living room to the rest of the family, where the television was turned on. She could see rubble of what seemed to be a collapsed bridge. Below, she could see "35-W Bridge Collapse".

"When did this happen?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I was in the garage with your father when your mother told us."

She remembered Melissa saying that she was going out with friends from their school for dinner afterwards in St. Paul or Minneapolis. If she had gone out in St. Paul, she would have to take a detour home.

Was she on the bridge at the time of the collapse? She dared not to think about it. Kate was she that she was safe at home with Jack.

Kate pulled away and went to the kitchen, picking the phone up from the receiver. She dialed her cell number just in case. Will hesitantly followed her into the kitchen.

"We are sorry," the recording said, "the number you have dialed is temporarily out of service."

"Oh, God," she breathed. She set the phone down gently on the counter. A light rain started to come down.

"What is it?" Will asked gently.

"The number's out of service. Melissa's number. She could have taken that road coming back." She paused. "You don't think that she..." Kate didn't want to say it. She didn't even want to think about the possibility of her lifelong friend being crushed by a bridge. She felt like crying at just the thought.

"Do you think it's a possibility that she turned her phone off?" he suggested.

"If she did, it'd go straight to voicemail." She straightened her brown tank top out of worry. Was Melissa really on that bridge when it collapsed? "Do you think Jack knows?"

"Why don't you call him?"

"I can't do that without calling her house, and I'm sure her parents would pick up on the first ring, in hopes that I knew something they didn't." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"She's going to be fine," Will said, hugging her tightly. "I know it."

Kate wanted to believe Will, she really did. Something horrible inside her told her that she wasn't fine, though. One couldn't be able to make a call if they were stuck under all of that cement and steel.

She felt like crying, but refused to. She may be alive. Will was right: she could just have her phone _and_ voicemail off. There was no need to automatically assume the worse. But perhaps she was doing so because it was so hard to see anything good out of a disaster like this. Who knew what the death toll would be come tomorrow morning? What about the missing and injured? How high would that be?

"Please don't assume the worse," he whispered. "It may not be as bad as it seems."

* * *

Jack waited for Melissa. As time dragged on, he couldn't help but think that she had been on that same bridge. He had gotten no word that she was safe.

As annoying as that girl could get, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Not good girl, musical loving, blood-and-guts hating Melissa!

_Harden up_, he scolded. _Yer not writin' 'er bloody eulogy. She's only missin'._

Melissa would be fine. He was convinced that she would be.

But he had gotten no bloody call!

* * *

Melissa couldn't slow her racing mind while they waited for a way out of the jam. She wondered if Jack knew that there was a bridge collapse. Was he worried? Were her parents worried? Was Kate worried? She wanted to get home...

She had tried calling her home multiple times, but the phone lines were too clogged to get through. She had attempted Kate, but the same thing happened. Melissa wanted to let people know that she was fine and alive, but that was impossible! She couldn't even text message Kate to pass on the message that she was fine and just waiting to get out of this.

It could have been so much worse. She could have been more willing to go and not have her friends drag her to the car; that would have resulted on getting stuck in the Mississippi River – or worse. She felt guilty that she had come so close to doing so, and here she was, upset that she couldn't reach her loved ones. Melissa would talk to them eventually; they'd find out that she wasn't missing.

There were so many what-ifs with this situation. What if she hadn't toured the campus a few extra moments? What if she hadn't used the restroom before they left the pizzeria? What if their waitress hadn't taken an extra moment to talk to a fellow waitress?

After some workers found a route out of the cities, Becca drove off in silence. All three were quiet the entire way. It was unspoken that it could easily have been them on the bridge when it collapsed.

Becca pulled into Melissa's driveway at 7:45. She got out and raced, in the pouring rain, up to the doorway. She went up the stairs and hugged her parents.

"Oh, Melissa, thank God you're alright," her father said, embracing her tightly. "We were so worried you were on that."

She nodded. She felt like she was in a dream. Even though she had thought what could have happened to her over and over, it fully hadn't settled in. Tomorrow would be a harder day than today was, if that seemed possible at the time.

Melissa hugged her mother tightly.

"I tried calling you both, but the lines were so clogged," she said. "I was out with friends for pizza, and we were going to take the bridge. We got in a traffic jam. They – so many other people were trying to call. I just couldn't get through."

She could feel a lump forming in her throat. Her eyes drifted downward to her pink toenails so that she would be less tempted to cry.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be by myself tonight," she said softly, still not daring to meet their eyes. She could help but wonder how worried they had been. How many parents would be receiving this news over the next several days, that their son or daughter had died in the collapse?

"Oh, of course," her mother said.

Melissa walked down the stairs to her room. She was so excited to see Jack. If they had just been a few seconds quicker, she would probably not be seeing him tonight (or maybe any other night).

She turned the knob on her door. It was locked. Letting out a sigh, she knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"It's me!" she said softly. "Jack, it's Melissa!"

The door then opened. She wasn't sure if she was ever that happy to see a person in her life. His wide eyes indicated that he was more than surprised to see her.

She wrapped her arms around him and cried. She had been holding her tears in for what seemed like days. Melissa was crying for what could have been, the relief, and coming closer to the epiphany that things could have been so much worse.

"We were so close to the bridge," she whispered. "We were three cars away – three."

Jack awkwardly hugged her back, patting her back. Melissa realized that they were in the doorway of her room. This was not the place to be, not unless they wanted to get caught. She wiped her eyes and went into the room, breaking away from the hug, and closed the door, locking it behind her. She saw that the television was on to a channel covering the bridge.

"Why didn't ya call, Mel? That was so stupid o' ya! Here I am, sitting in yer room, thinkin' yer injured or worse, 'n' ya couldn't e'en pick up th' phone –"

"I know," she said, through another round of tears. "I know! I tried for so long to get through to you and Kate, but the phones were clogged..."

She sat down on the bed and wiped her tears away. She was so sick of crying. This was the third day in a row that she cried! But these were very monumental things; how could one not cry during them?

"Were you worried?" she asked.

"O' course I was worried! I didn't know whether ya were dead or 'live."

It meant everything to her to hear that he worried for her safety. As he sat next to her, she leaned against him. She had never been happier to be sitting next to him before.

"It could have been so much worse," she said. "My parents could have reported me as missing if I was on the bridge..."

Melissa didn't dare to think about what really could have happened. It was too bizarre to think that she could have gone down with that bridge. The last thing she said to Jack would have been "It could be worse."

It really could have been worse, too.

"I love you so much," she whispered. "Please remember that."

"'Ow can I forget if ya tell me that e'eryday?" Jack teased.

She smirked and rested her head on his shoulder. "I mean it. Don't you forget it."

* * *

Kate picked up the phone that evening yet again in an attempt to call Melissa. She had to admit that things were looking very bleak now. But it was worth one more try, wasn't it? This could be the time that she answered!

"Kate, either she'll answer her phone, or she won't," Will said, who had been with her nearly all of her attempts to call her.

"But what it this is the time?" she said.

_Or what if it's not? _the other part of her thought.

She was beginning to be exhausted from worry. It was only 7:55, but she would be waiting the whole night to hear a response if she had to.

"Just one more time," she said. "I can't sleep knowing that she could be in that bridge, Will."

Something inside of Will gave in, for he nodded. She was just desperate to know even the tiniest bit of new information.

Kate dialed Melissa's cell and heard it ringing. Kate gasped. A wave of relief washed over her.

"It's ringing!" she exclaimed.

The line rang a second time.

"Hello?" Melissa asked.

"Say it again," Kate said, smiling like a child.

"What?" Melissa asked. "Say what again?"

Kate was so relieved to hear Melissa's voice. For the past ninety minutes, she was wondering where exactly the owner of that voice was.

"Where were you?" Kate said. "I was worried sick!"

Melissa retold the story of how she was nearly on the bridge, how she saw it collapse, and how she tried to call her and Jack, but the lines were so clogged that she couldn't.

"Melissa, do me a favor," Kate said, her voice slightly shaky. "Don't ever scare us like that again."


	26. Awake

Chapter Twenty-Six

Awake

For hitting the two hundred mark, I'm giving you all green – not red – apples, in honor of Melissa's pregnancy craving! XD

I actually had most of this chapter written up, but Monday morning, my dad was hospitalized for chest pain and irregular heartbeat. We don't know what it is yet, but the doctors that did the test said that it wasn't a heart attack or blockage, thankfully. He'll hopefully be released this evening. Keep your fingers crossed? It'd mean a lot to me!

* * *

Melissa had slept very little that night, even though she was exhausted. She would sleep for an hour or so, then stay awake for another two. Her mind kept going back to what really could have happened. She felt that in a way, she cheated death that evening.

_Why didn't I get taken? _she thought. _I don't deserve to be this fortunate._

Melissa had a life to live, that's why. She had to see her and Jack's child grow; she had to be a mother. She had to get her degree and be a veterinarian. She still had to go to Paris and kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower!

During the early hours of Thursday morning, she realized that life was too short to spend worrying about what her parents would think when she told them that she was pregnant, or whether the child would be born out of wedlock, or how exactly her and Jack were going to have a child together. She knew now that each day was a blessing. She was grateful to be alive.

Melissa knew she had to make each day count, for it could be her last any particular morning. She had to do what she wanted and not take life so seriously. One only lives once, why not make the best of it?

How could she just be realizing this now? Some people had this philosophy their whole lives; did it really take a bridge to collapse in front of her to realize that?

_That's what it'd take for most people_, she thought solemnly. 

She thanked whoever was watching over her that evening. If she had gone on the bridge, she would might still be on the bridge and in an emergency shelter for the evening, or at least until her parents could get her.

But, if the situation had gone even more different than that, she could be stuck under steel and cement, living only by an air pocket and probably screaming at the top of her lungs for help. That, or just sitting silently and praying that someone would find them soon before the rest collapsed on her.

She didn't even want to think about how it could have gone worse.

_This is a story for our child_, she mused. 

Their child. Or, would it be children? Who knew if she was expecting twins, or maybe even triplets? Was it a boy or a girl?

She still had to start thinking of names. Had Jack started thinking of names yet?

Melissa remembered that she had a doctor's appointment this afternoon at 5:00. She would be taking her own car into Minneapolis today (she wasn't about to tell Becca to drop her off at the obstetrician's – not even her parents and Kate knew yet!) and be back at 6:30 or so, perhaps a little later, since she was going to stop and pick up her desperately needed green apples.

She turned on the television, lowered the volume, and changed the channel to MSNBC to watch coverage of what was now being called the "Tragedy in Minnesota." Melissa saw that there were four dead, thirty missing, and more than a hundred injured. She couldn't help but wonder how much the death toll was going to go up. It was surprising low, but she had to tell herself that it hadn't even been twelve hours since it happened. It had barely been nine hours.

She heard that there had been forty or so children on a school bus with a summer program. Melissa was both shocked and relieved to hear that all forty were alive and doing well. She wondered how something like that was possible.

_At least some good came out of this_, she thought. 

She looked at Jack sleeping next to her. Melissa wondered exactly what he was thinking while she was stuck in Minneapolis yesterday. How scared was he? What if she had gotten trapped? How far would he have gone to assure her safety? Would he have called Kate and told her to pick him up and to drive them to the bridge site, even though it would be roped off? Would he have posed as an off-duty officer and ordered that they let him through to search?

She tried hard not to think of the what-ifs. The what-ifs were what-could-have-been's now. She was alive, unharmed, and with Jack's child, safe in their bed. Melissa felt as if she would never stop thinking about seeing the bridge collapse and what could have been. She wondered how many other people were thinking the same thing that had narrowly avoided the same fate.

Melissa had been through a hard week. Monday, she found out that she was pregnant. Tuesday, she told Jack that she was carrying his child. Wednesday, she saw a tragedy that will haunt her for the rest of her days.

When would things return to normal?

* * *

Early afternoon, Kate called Savannah, one of the wedding coordinators in Florida at the Trump International. She half-watched the coverage on the local CBS news affiliate. 

"You're the couple from Minnesota, right?" Savannah asked, a slight trace of a Spanish accent in her voice. "Kate and Will?"

"Yes," Kate said. She couldn't help but think that her friend that she had known for twelve years had nearly been on that bridge as she saw it floating in the Mississippi River.

"Do you live near where the bridge collapsed?" Savannah asked.

"Yeah, we do, actually. Thirty minutes or so away. My friend was nearly on it. She was three cars away."

If Becca had decided to be a speed demon that evening, would she be instead be saying that her friend was missing?

"Wow," Savannah said. "That's amazing. Close call."

"It is, isn't it?" Kate said, half to herself. "Someone was looking out for her."

It was just starting to settle in that a bridge had collapsed and Melissa was nearly on it. She wondered how Melissa was doing. Kate could only imagine that she would be able to focus much today. She thought about calling her after orientation let out and ask if she wanted to go somewhere, like dinner, and talk.

She immersed herself in work to try and take her mind off of things. Kate continued talking to Savannah, made a checklist of things she would need to pack tomorrow for New York, then went to pick Will up at Fort Snelling.

After greeting her with a peck on the lips in the parking lot, Will asked, "Do you want to see something?"

"It depends on what it is," she replied.

"We have a view of the bridge," he said. "Would you like to see it?"

Kate felt it would be too bizarre see something like that. People had perished in that! Melissa was nearly in it!

For some reason, though, she nodded. Will took her hand and lead her to a small, three story building overlooking the Mississippi River. They went up the narrow, winding staircase together. Once on the top, Kate could see the collapsed bridge down the river. She stood behind the parapet. Will stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. It was too much to comprehend that people were inside there, either dead or trying to survive.

"It could have been her," was all she said.

* * *

Melissa played with the hem of her purple shirt while she waited for the doctor to come into the room. She was now at the obstetrician's, waiting for the confirmation of her pregnancy. 

Melissa knew she was pregnant. It was just going to be difficult to hear it from a doctor. She didn't want to be pregnant this young! Melissa had been in a relationship with Jack for exactly two months, and she was already pregnant! She was not afraid of commitment, but she was frightened to have a child by him. That was a lifelong commitment!

Melissa had to wonder how Kate could get engaged to Will when she had only known him for a month (now two)! She was nervous to have a baby, and here Kate was, making a different lifelong commitment at a very young age, too. Melissa wondered how Kate would react when she told her that she was pregnant. She wanted to tell her badly, but she didn't want to say it over the phone. And with how stressed she was over the wedding, she wasn't sure if Kate needed to have a pregnant friend added to the pot.

The doctor that she had spoken to earlier, Dr. Armstrong, walked through the door. Melissa looked up. The doctor looked a bit unsure of what to say.

_Rightfully so_, she thought. _How do you tell an eighteen-year-old that she's pregnant?_

"Melissa," she began, "you didn't happen to bring someone with you, by chance?"

Melissa wondered what that meant.

"No," Melissa said. "The father's not here, if that's what you mean. He's at work."

"Well, that's what he's going to be," Dr. Armstrong said. "A father. Congratulations, Melissa. You're pregnant. Six weeks along, from what we discussed."

She thought that the last part was not very congratulatory, almost as if she knew that it was a surprise pregnancy.

Melissa was expecting the news. It was just hard to hear that she was, indeed, pregnant. Eighteen and pregnant. This was not how she expected things to turn out two months ago.

She had no choice but to nod and accept the facts. "Right. Thank you."

"But we here at Haugen feel like a woman should have her options," she said hesitantly. "We provide information for both adoption and –"

Melissa couldn't let her even say the next option before she interrupted.

"I'll be quite fine, Dr. Anderson," she said. "I want to raise this child."

Dr. Anderson's brown eyes widened. "Oh. Well, there is always that option, too." She sat on a swivel stool and sat across from Melissa. "Is there any questions you have?"

Gosh, there had to be a million different questions that she had. One by one, though.

"Yes, actually," Melissa said. "What's it normal to feel like right now? I mean, Jack, the father, and I didn't think about having children before we..."

"There is no right or wrong answer," Dr. Anderson said gently. "It's fine to feel happy when you find out, and it's fine to feel frightened."

_That doesn't answer my question! _she thought. 

"It's not as bad as it could be. Jack is with me, he agreed to be there with me, but I haven't told anyone else." She swallowed and held her hands in her lap. "So, it's fine to feel fear like you've never felt?"

"Yes, but the father is agreeing to be there for you and your child. Is there someone that you are nervous to tell?"

"My parents." She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Melissa, in all my years as an obstetrician, I have never seen a family disown or evict their daughter because she's pregnant."

She appeared to be in her mid-forties or so, and she guessed that she had been a doctor for twenty or so years. So, her odds were twenty to one that her family would not disown or evict her, either, even if her parents _were_ strict Christians.

"Is there anything else?" Dr. Anderson asked. "If you have any questions at all, now is the time to ask them."

"I mean, it doesn't even feel like I'm pregnant," she said quickly. "It feels like a bunch of...symptoms. Like the morning sickness, how I'm craving only green apples, which I never really cared for in my life..."

She nodded. "I know. And you won't believe it until you can actually see a bump or have an ultrasound?"

Melissa nodded.

"Soon enough," Dr. Anderson said. "As early as seven weeks after conception, one can determine the gender of your child even, if you want. So, I'm guessing we could probably find out your child's gender early September or so."

In just one month she could find out if she was having a boy or girl? That seemed so far from now, but she knew that it would get here in the blink of an eye.

Just like holding her child for the first time.

* * *

Kate popped her head into Will's room before going to bed that evening. He was knelt down by his new black suitcase, folding a brown shirt. 

"Do you have everything?" Kate asked.

"Everything that I can pack tonight," Will replied, putting the shirt in the suitcase.

Kate took a seat next to him on the floor and smoothed her indigo nightgown that ended shortly above her knees. They had to leave the house at around 5:00 in the morning tomorrow to catch their flight, which left at 8:00. They would arrive in New York at 10:15.

"Do you think we'll find it?" she asked. "The House, I mean?"

She looked at his ticket that lay near his suitcase. Flight 116; Row 11, seat B. She remembered when she first told him that she was leaving to move to New York. Little did she know that he'd be going with to look for their house together. She truly thought that they would have to have a long-distance relationship. Thankfully, she was proven wrong.

"I have no doubt that we'll find it," he said. "I'll live anywhere with you."

"You'd want somewhere with civilization," she teased.

"Just you is enough." He kissed her head.

Kate smiled. "I should probably go to bed. Big next few days for us, after all."

Although, contrary to what she said she would do, she stayed on the floor next to him, silent for a few moments before speaking.

"Do you remember that I told you I was going to move to New York in the elevator in Duluth?" she asked.

"How could I forget?"

"Did you know that you'd be coming with to look at houses with me in August?"

He took one her hands and held it while looking into her eyes.

"I didn't know that I would, but I certainly hoped that I would."


	27. New States

Chapter Twenty-Seven

New States

Thank you so much for your support with my dad. Thankfully, he was released Tuesday afternoon. It truly meant a lot to me, guys. Thank you!

Pearl Evelin – Going out on a whim that Pearl will be having a nice long talk with me...

* * *

Kate and Will woke up at 4:30 to get ready for their flight. Kate spent the half hour straightening her hair and packing the rest of her health and beauty items that she would need for the weekend, while Will had some waffles. Kate grabbed two granola bars and put them in her purse on the way out.

Once Kate had found a spot in the parking garage at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, Will heard a roaring noise coming close to them. He saw a large airplane flying low, landing on the runway.

"They're quite large," Will couldn't help but say.

Kate smiled and got out of the car. "I'm sure I'd say the same if I saw one of your ships."

After going into the airport, which Will was surprised to find had quite a few people in it, walking to their destination with rolling suitcases. In one hand, Will held his airline ticket, and in the other was the handle of his rolling suitcase.

"Alright, follow me," Kate said, leading them to Gate C. She had obviously done this before. Will wondered how common it was to go on an airplane.

After waiting in line for several minutes, they passed to a conveyer belt. Kate took her black flats off and put them in a small, grey container, along with her purse, and put it on the belt. Will frowned.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She put her black suitcase on the conveyer belt and shoved the container, as well as her suitcase, down it.

"It's for security," she said. "They need to make sure you're not hiding weapons or explosives. You can put your shoes in the container and send that and the suitcase down the conveyer belt. Just do what I do."

Will took his shoes off and put them in the container and sent it down the line. She saw Kate go through what appeared to be a doorframe, minus the door. He did the same.

"That's supposed to detect any metal on you," she said, "like weapons."

Will thought that they were really stepping up security measures. Who could ever imagine that there would be a machine to detect metal on one's self?

After waiting in the terminal for a half hour for the flight to arrive, they boarded the plane. Kate lead them to row eleven, while Will put the suitcases in the overhead compartment, which was difficult to do, seeing as people were trying to move past at the same time. The aisles were narrow, too, which didn't contribute any help to his problem.

Once he got the suitcases in the compartment, he took his seat next to Kate, who offered him a stick of gum.

"It's so your ears won't pop," she said. "During the flight, sometimes they pop. It's helped me."

Assuming that she had flown many times, Will decided to accept whatever advice he gave her.

After the flight attendants had explained what would happen in the event of an emergency (which started to make him nervous – what if the plane really did crash? Did that happen often?) the plane started to make it's way down the runway. After a few minutes of it going slowly down the runway, the plane started to speed up. He could feel the plane lifting off of the ground, making him feel like he was being pressed against the chair.

And in the air, they went.

* * *

Kate remembered going through JFK once before. She had flown out by herself a year ago for a photo shoot for a magazine. It was then that she first got the idea to move to New York to further her modeling career. For twelve entire months, she had thought about it being just herself in an apartment, with maybe a pet as company. 

That was where Will came in to the picture, which she was thankful for in more ways than one. There was no more thoughts of a small apartment by herself, which she wasn't looking forward to; now there was a starter apartment with her fiancé.

After getting into a cab, they spent twenty minutes driving, looking at New York around them. She remembered the buildings being tall, and there being many people walking on the sidewalks; it was wonderful to her to be reacquainted with the city. There was something about New York that she loved, although she couldn't put her finger on it.

After reaching their hotel, they checked in at the counter. After Will signed some paperwork, they got their cards and headed up to the room, which was on the eleventh floor. She slid the key into room 1108.

There was a small living area with two beige chairs and a television, as well as two beds. Will chose the bed closest to the wall, while Kate was given the bed closest to the window with the amazing view of New York City.

She set her suitcase near the edge of the bed and looked out the window. It was bizarre to finally be here, looking for houses with Will.

"How about we walk around?" she asked, eyes still on the buildings. About three blocks away, she thought she could see Central Park. Would their future home be near Central Park?

"Didn't your father want you to call when we got settled?" Will asked.

Always the practical one.

"That's right," she said, turning to dig the phone out of her purse.

* * *

Melissa walked outside that afternoon after she got home from work to get the mail. She found that the first piece of mail was in a cream colored envelope from the Sims. Judging by the peach, cursive type on the front, this had to be Kate's wedding invitation. She smiled and quickly went inside the house. 

"We got Kate's wedding invitation!" she said to her Jack while she went upstairs, laying the rest of the mail on the coffee table.

He didn't seem to be too enthusiastic about it. Melissa shrugged it off and went downstairs with Jack and opened the envelope, reading over the invitation.

Katherine Marie Sims

and

William James Turner II

Two hearts joined together in friendship, united forever in love

It is with great joy that we, Richard and Jordana Sims

Invite you to the marriage of our daughter

Kate Sims

to

Will Turner

On Saturday, the fifteenth of September

Two thousand and seven

At six o' clock in the evening

Trump Sonesta Beach Resort

18001 Collins Avenue

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 33160

For an outdoor wedding on the beach

Please join us for the reception

Immediately following the ceremony

Pool-side at the hotel.

"Isn't that great they're getting married?" Melissa said, setting the invitation next to her.

"I think it's shell-brained o' 'er," he muttered.

"Why? I mean, other than the fact that she's eighteen and known Will for two months, why don't you want them to get married?"

"_That_ is th' reason, dear Melissa," he said. "Their marriage'll be o'er faster than a 'Ollywood one. She'll be twenty-one 'n' divorced, just ya watch."

That was a horrible thing to say! They weren't going to end up divorced. She had seen them together, they were simply adorable. A couple like that does not break up! Except temporarily over the summer for a stupid mistake that Kate made, but their relationship was strong enough to surpass that – that kind of a couple does not break up.

"So," she said, "you're not keen on the idea of marriage, yourself?"

"Darlin', I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow. I don't e'en want t' think 'bout gettin' married." He looked at her. "Why? Ye're not thinkin' o', er...walkin' down th' aisle, are ya?"

To be honest, yes, she did want to get married, but for the baby. She wasn't too keen on the idea of having a child out of marriage, even if she did think that just yesterday morning it didn't matter. It did! It meant everything to her to have a child born into marriage!

"I don't know," she said. "We could just get married real quick, maybe fly out to Vegas for a weekend before I start showing, and we could say that I got pregnant over the honeymoon in a month."

Jack gave her an are-you-kidding? look. "Ya can't be serious, can ya?"

Alright, Melissa had to admit that hurt. So he was fine with bedding her at night, but he wasn't interested in commitment and really raising this child together?

"So, you're not interested in having a quick wedding?"

"Well, first, people would catch on."

"Why?"

"Because they can count. Yer due on Easter. March 23. Bugger, e'en if we got married t'day, they could only count t' se'en months fer th' due date. Now, that don't add up, Mel."

She stared at him. "So you're not going to marry me just because the months don't add up? I thought you had a little more respect than that!"

Not that he had a lot of respect to begin with. This was Jack, after all. But still, he had to have some standards, didn't he?

"What's the difference?" he argued. "If ye 'n' I 'ave a child t'gether 'n' I agree t' live with ye 'n' our child, then isn't that like bein' married?"

"The difference is that this is important to me! I don't want to have a child out of marriage!"

"Should've thought 'bout that b'fore 'opping int' bed, now shouldn't ye've?"

She gaped at him. Truly, she could not believe that he wasn't agreeing. She was having his child, couldn't the least that he do is marry her?

"Jack, I'm asking you to do this for us! You've known where my priorities have always been."

"'N' ya know where mine are."

It felt like a knife going into her heart when he said that. How could he not do this for her? He even claimed that he loved her!

"I promised t' be there fer ye 'n' th' baby, I don't know what more ya want from me, Mel!" he said.

"A promise that you'll be there for our grandchildren."

He stood up. "Now ye're bein' ridiculous."

She stood up to try and level with him, even though he was taller than her. "So, what, you'll help me for a few days, then you're off to your next whore?"

"I said I'd help ya with th' baby, I never promised a marriage! 'N' I never said I'd leave ya after th' baby's grown. What yer sayin', gettin' married, is...incomprehensible! I couldn't be married."

"You're right, we probably would separate on grounds of you cheating!" she said, getting nose to nose with him. She was furious, and there was no stopping her now. "You're not able to stay with one woman, Jack, and I understand that about you, even though I don't understand why you are that way. But it sickens me how selfish you really are!"

She turned away before she would say things that she would regret. Melissa was angry not only at Jack, but at herself. If she had been a little stronger the weekend her parents were out visiting family in Iowa, she never would be in this position. She would still be a virgin, and it would be so much easier to break up with him.

Just because she was pregnant didn't mean that she couldn't raise this on her own. She could live with her parents for a while and break up with him. It wouldn't be the first time that there was a single mom, and she wouldn't be the last.

"If we'd get married," Jack said, "it'd be only fer th' baby. 'Ow would ya like t' tell it that the parents only wed 'cause the mother felt morally obligated?"

"I'd like it very much, because then I wouldn't have to explain why the parents _didn't_ get married!"

Silence filled the air. All they ever seemed to do was fight. How could these two even raise a child together?

Melissa didn't want to back down from her point of view, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if the child really was born outside of marriage. They would be a family either way.

She knew that he was equally stubborn on his point of view, and if she wanted him, she would have to learn accept everything about him. This was going to be a hard thing for her to accept.

_Would _she ever accept it?

* * *

Jack was not getting married. He was never going to have a wife. 

But, he also thought that he would never have a child, look how that turned out.

This was one promise that he was not going to break to himself. He would tolerate living with Melissa and the child, but not marrying her. Because, really, since when did Captain Jack Sparrow marry? Bugger, he had only said that he loved her so that she would get into bed with him!

Jack was never going to marry: that was final!

* * *

Banana bread if you caught the "Chicago" connection!


	28. Compromising

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Compromising

**Short, yes, but otherwise it would have been too long of a chapter if I hadn't cut it in half.**

Starts out with how Kate became a model. I felt that it was important to explain, because it shows a lot about her character if you read between the lines – she wouldn't have met Will otherwise!

* * *

"Tell me why you wanted to become a model," Will said from their room, while sitting on the edge of his bed. Kate was in the bathroom changing clothes to get ready for touring houses today.

"To be honest, I did it because I needed the money." She paused. "My parents really wanted me to go to Yale, just like they did. My grandpa – my dad's dad – went to Yale, too, so I was expected to go. But I didn't."

She chuckled; why, Will wasn't sure. "My dad nearly hit the roof when I said that I became a model. He was against everything about it, saying that it was for the shallows and the liberals, that I could still quit and try for law school. But I stuck with it. I mean, I instantly fell in love with it. You get to travel and play dress-up..."

"But what's hard about it? Each job has it's flaws."

A few beats of silence filled the air.

"Well, I got lots of criticism from agents. They said I was too short, but I'm 5' 7"!"

Will thought she was rather tall for a woman. How tall did models need to be?

"And they wanted to make a blonde, like Melissa. Try and picture that!"

He always did wonder what she would look like as a blonde. He thought she would look rather nice, actually.

"So, last May, right before school got out, I started getting serious about getting into the business. I had Melissa take two pictures of me, a close-up of my head and one that showed my whole body. I then printed out a resume of my stats: height, weight, all of that. I looked online for modeling agencies in Minnesota, then sent them out to the sixteen agencies around here. And I remember it was sixteen days – it took me sixteen days to make sure that this is what I wanted to do."

Will was glad that she stuck to what she believed in: otherwise they wouldn't have met.

"I got a call a week or so after to say that they wanted to see me in person. I was thrilled – I had someone that was thinking of signing me! So I went so to the agency, and that's where the criticism began, which was hard to take. But they must have had some sort of faith in me, since they ended up signing me that very day, with my mom by my side."

Will could never getting in an business where one was judged solely on their outer appearance. How could one be in a business like that?

"A few days later, there were representatives at the agency from a magazine that wanted some new models for their September issue. That's where they shot the one with me on the beach. In July they flew me out to New York to do the shoot for that, and that's where I came across working for Anthropologie. And that, my dear..."

She came out of the bathroom, fully dressed, hair back in a messy bun and sat next to him. "Is the story of how I became a model."

Will had to admit that it was an interesting story. She was just eighteen when she figured what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

"Has it ever occurred to you that if you listened to your father, we never would have met?" he asked her.

She smiled. "If I listened to my father, I'd be dating one of my mom's interns."

Kate then stood up, not giving herself anytime to dwell on her past, but instead, their future. "Come on," she said. "We have a home to get."

* * *

Melissa wanted to break up with Jack. 

Yet at the same time, she wanted him there for the child.

And just yesterday she wanted a marriage. Today she didn't.

Why couldn't she just make up her mind?!

They fought all the time; mostly about the baby lately. Like last night when they fought about marriage. Melissa couldn't help that she wanted a stable home for the child, but if they were going to keep fighting like this, it'd be better to raise the baby in a calm environment where the parents weren't fighting always. She could raise it by herself.

But at the same time he promised that he'd be there for the child. Maybe it was a little much to ask for marriage. They probably would separate, anyway.

She knew that he was an idiot ever since he cheated in June. She knew she should have broken up then, but no, she had to be a naive pushover and give him one more chance.

It was wrong of her to kiss the day after they met. It was wrong of her to give him one more try after cheating with Kate. It was wrong of her to lose her virginity to him. They moved too fast! All of this was her fault. If she hadn't bought that stupid medallion with Kate, none of this would have happened.

It was better for the child if they broke up. It would have a lousy father otherwise, and this way, Melissa could really focus on raising it. She was sick of his cockiness and untrustworthiness!

* * *

Melissa was obviously not happy with Jack. But he couldn't help if he didn't want to marry. It wasn't in his nature to! He was not going to marry a woman, not now, not ever! 

Although, he could act like a father towards the baby and still be there for Melissa. That was sort of like being married – except for the ring around her finger that she felt like she needed to have to make it complete.

Really, nearly any other woman would be fine with having a child out of marriage. Out of all the bedrooms in the world, why did he have to end up in the one that refused to have the child out of marriage?

He could make an ultimatum: accept the help he was offering, or have her raise the child by herself. He really couldn't see Melissa wanting to raise a child by herself, since it apparently "deserved to have a father."

After her parents left for the grocery store on Saturday, Melissa came back to her bedroom with a less-than-pleased look on her face. She was probably angry over the tiff they had last night.

"I'm not marryin' ya," he said as she lay down on her right side on the bed. Jack was sitting at the foot of it, flipping through channels. "I'll move in with ya, I'll learn 'ow t' cook so we don't go 'ungry, I'll clean, since your bump will protrude more 'n' more with each passin' month, 'n' I'll be there fer th' baby fer as long as ya want me t'. But under no circumstances am I marryin' ya."

"How can we expect to have a family together, though? We fight so much –"

Really, who cared that they fought all the time? She wanted one, she was going to get one!

"Will ya just move in with me?" he asked. "We'll rent a place until after th' baby's born."

"Jack, listen to me. We fight all the time. We fought yesterday about marriage, we fought three weeks ago about how you think I'm not loose enough for your standards, we fought when you cheated with Kate _big_ time – how do you expect us to raise a family if all we do is fight?"

"Well, that's what we do, Mel, we fight. Ya tell me when I'm being a selfish moron and I tell ya when ye're actin' like ya 'ave a stick up yer arse...which ya act like ya do, ninety-nine percent o' th' time. I'm not afraid t' 'urt someone's feelin's, and trust me, darlin' yer no exception. Ya 'ave a two second period where ya don't act like ya 'ave a stick up yer arse, then yer back t' actin' like that again!"

There. Jack finally got it all out. They knew full well where each other stood. Honestly, he couldn't imagine having a sugar-coated relationship with naive Melissa. They needed to fight, otherwise their relationship would be as boring as a promotion ceremony for Norrington – minus the fainting Elizabeth.

"You're encouraging us to move in together because we fight?" she said slowly.

Truth be told, from her point, his speech probably made no sense. She was surprised that she didn't argue back at what he called her, though.

"Why?" she asked. "I mean...you really want to be a part of the child's life, don't you?"

What did he take her for? He was not going to marry her, but he was not going to leave the woman carrying his child!

"Duh," he said. He then turned the television off and turned to face her, his eyes just inches from her sky blue ones. He realized that she really did have beautiful colored eyes.

"Ye 'n' me t'gether, Mel," Jack said, running a hand through her hair. "Whether ya like it or not, I'm taking care o' that child 'n' I will tell it all my pirate stories, especially the one about 'ow Daddy got off o' that Godforsaken spit o' land."

"Please don't use that language around our child," she said with a laugh. "Tell all the pirate stories you want, it's just going to think you're absolutely crazy."

He scoffed. "Like I 'aven't 'eard that b'fore."

There. He had talked his way out of marrying her. Jack got what he wanted, and Melissa had assurance that he would be there for the baby. He saw something give in and not be the naive girl that she was. Maybe she was actually waking up and finding that just as long as they had a child together, it didn't matter.

"I hate that I'm in love you," she said softly.

"It's interesting how often those traits coincide," he grinned.

* * *

Melissa was staying with Jack. 

She was not staying with what Kate would probably call a "man whore" just because of the child. She was staying with him because of what he promised he would do – and because as much of an idiot as she was, she loved him.

She hated that she loved him. This was not the type of person that she would even think about kissing, and here she was, agreeing to move in with him and have his child.

She was beginning to adjust to the fact that Jack didn't want to get married. She knew that it was nothing personal, that was just in his nature. Both had to make compromises: it looked like this would have to be her's if she wanted to keep him.

* * *

I couldn't help but add "The Notebook" connection in there. When I heard that line for the first time, I thought it fit Jack and Melissa perfectly.


	29. Home

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Home

The title of the chapter belongs to Daughtry. Don't own it.

* * *

After stopping for some lunch, Kate thought about how they were going to find a house. The apartments they had seen in Brooklyn and Manhattan were nice, but out of their price range. Faith, their realtor, had said that Queens would be the area for them. It was close enough to New York that it would be convenient for work, but far enough away to not be in the center of the city.

They entered the fifth home of the day around 2:00 or so. They went to the sixth floor (the top floor) of the apartment complex and walked down the hall to apartment number 6F.

"Alright," Faith said, opening the door for them. "This is 950 square feet with two bedrooms and one bath. It's pet-friendly and has a laundry room downstairs."

Kate felt immediately drawn to the home the moment she stepped in it. She went into the white-walled kitchen with Will, holding hands. She saw that the cabinets were a rich oak color, along with newer looking appliances and dark hardwood floors. As cliche as it sounded, she could herself see making dinners for her and Will in here, or popcorn for a movie night, or even cookies.

"The kitchen was just updated," Faith said.

"It's wonderful," Will breathed.

So she wasn't the only one who felt the same way.

They moved onto the dining area, where there was a good amount of space for a six-seat table. Faith lead them to the living area, which provided plenty of room for entertaining. Would she be sitting here watching football with Will or laughing during a movie?

"And here's the guest bedroom," Faith said. "They turned it into a study, though."

Kate looked at the white-walled room. It would be a nice guest bedroom for her parents or Jack and Melissa.

Or a child in the future.

"This is the master bedroom," Faith said, leading them to a blue colored room.

Kate found that, for it being less than a thousand square feet, things were laid out very nicely. All the rooms were a decent size; perfect for a starter home.

Faith led them into a beige colored bathroom with a pedestal sink, toilet, and full tub. Kate thought about how someone knew that this was The House. She really loved it, but what if they wouldn't love it the next time that they saw it?

"What do you think of the house?" Faith asked.

Kate looked at Will. He smiled and said, "I loved it. It's a perfect amount of space for a couple."

"I loved it, too," Kate agreed. "I can't find anything wrong with it. It really is the perfect house."

Will turned to Faith. "Do you mind if Kate and I have a word?"

"Oh, not at all," Faith said. "I'll be in the living room."

Kate and Will went into the guest living room and stood by the window, looking at the street below them.

"This is it," she said with a nod. "I mean...you like it, right?"

"I do," he said. "I love it."

"But do you like it enough to live in it?"

"Yes."

This really was The House. They were in it right now!

"Lets make an offer on it," he said.

Impulsive much? They hadn't even really talked about it, nor had they finished the rest of their appointments today, and he wanted to buy it?

"I don't think now is the best time," she said. "Can't we make one after we looked at all the houses? Like, I don't know...tomorrow?"

"Now may be the only time," he said. "Someone could make an offer today and we could lose it."

She knew Will was right. They could lose this house if they didn't act now. It was terrifying to her to buy a house at eighteen, though!

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "You don't think that we'll find a better house anywhere else?"

"No," he said softly. "I know we won't."

She looked around the blue office/bedroom. "But we've only been in here for five minutes. How do we know that this is it?"

He smiled. "The same reason I knew you for a month before I asked you to marry me."

_You just know_, she finished silently.

And she did know that this was right. She had visions of everything that could happen in this apartment. If this wasn't right, she wouldn't be thinking of cooking in the kitchen, watching football in the living room, and having this room as a possible nursery down the road.

"You're right. We need to make an offer now if we're going to."

A wave of worry rushed over her. What if this just wasn't it, though? Someone could really love a house, but yet it could be the wrong one.

_You're being ridiculous!_she thought. _You love it, you can picture so many things happening here...it's perfect for you two!_

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Kate nodded, knowing that this was it. There was no going back now. Once they signed and made an offer, the house was most likely going to be their's.

"Like you said...now's the only time."

* * *

Melissa opened the Star Tribune to the homes section and browsed through it for rented homes. She and Jack were sitting on the floor in her bedroom, the television on the Food Network softly in the background. 

Jack reached for the wedding invitation on the night stand. There was a silence before he said, "So, er...Florida."

"Yeah. Florida. It's in the southern US," she said absently, trying to both read the rentals in their area while answering his question. "Hey, what about a two-bedroom here in Brooklyn Park? It's small, but it's for $750 a month."

"Really darlin', pick anythin' ya want," he said. Jack was obviously paying more attention to the wedding invitation.

Melissa took a red pen and circled the ad. "So you're excited for their wedding? I think they have a wedding registry at Macy's. We could go there next weekend and pick something out for them."

"Mel, it's in Florida."

What was his sudden fascination with Florida?

"Yes, I know it is," she said. "Want to say it once more to get it out of your system?"

"Th' Aqua de Vida!" he practically shouted. "I've wanted t' look fer that fer months! I 'ad a map...wait, no, Giselle 'ad it, I think. No, wait, it was Scarlett. Was it Gibbs?"

The Aqua de Vida; Melissa knew that translated to The Water of Life – a.k.a. The Fountain of Youth. She had heard tales of it in history class. Someone just needed to drink from it once and they would become immortal. But they were only tales – it didn't exist, of course.

Melissa looked up from her paper. "Are you kidding? That's nothing but a way to waste your life looking for something that doesn't exist!"

"But we can waste a few days b'fore th' eunuch 'n' wench's weddin'."

"We get there the twelfth mid-afternoon, I'm guessing, and we're busy the thirteenth with the rehearsal dinner in the evening. The fourteenth, I'm throwing Kate a bachelorette party, and the fifteenth we have their wedding. Now, tell me, when exactly can we look for this Fountain of Youth?"

Jack seemed to consider this, then said, "Wednesday, most definitely."

She rolled her eyes and put a cap on the red pen that she was holding. "Jack, we're not looking for it. You know it doesn't exist, and looking for the Fountain of Youth isn't exactly something that a pregnant woman should be doing!"

She then saw why exactly she had agreed to not marry him. Melissa could not put up with his idiotic ideas, til death do they part. No child was worth marrying a man like this.

"Then I'll look by meself. Ya stay at th' 'otel 'n' stay out o' trouble, I'll bring ya back a bottle, 'n' then, poof, ye're as immortal as Barbossa! B'fore I shot 'im, that is."

He really thought that it was real? Time to point some things out, then.

"Jack, Florida is a civilized state with more than seventeen million people. If the Fountain of Youth really did exist, don't you think that _someone_ would have found it by now? And even if it did exist, I wouldn't drink it when I'm pregnant. I don't want to stay six weeks pregnant with morning sickness and apple cravings for the rest of my life!"

"Ah, but ye used a scenario. Ya must think that it's real."

She sighed. "I was being factitious. Even if it was, I wouldn't want to be immortal, pregnant or not."

"But why not?" Jack stated it like it was a shock that someone wouldn't want to become immortal.

"I don't think people should live forever. You're put on Earth to live and die, not to live, drink some immortal water, then watch the ones around you die."

"I'd be fine with it."

She tapped her pen against the newspaper. "Please remind me why I'm agreeing to move in with you."

"B'cause ya felt that th' child needed Cap'n Jack as it's father."

She rolled her eyes. "At least you didn't agree to have us get married."

"Darlin'..." he set the invitation on her bed. "Would I e'er agree t' get married? I'm –"

"Captain Jack Sparrow." She smiled. "I know."

* * *

Kate could hear the taxis on the streets below honking their horns in the dark New York night. This reminded her of when she came to New York last summer. She couldn't sleep then, either. The first time it was because she was alone in a different state with no family – she was seventeen at the time! She knew that nearly all models were traveling by themselves that young. Kate had called her mom that night just to say that she missed her and couldn't wait to get home. She was gone for two days then, too. 

Now she had Will. This time was significantly different, though. She was in New York not for a photo shoot, but for house hunting.

What if they didn't get the house? What if they made the wrong decision? They would have to return to New York and look all over again.

She rolled on her side to look at Will. She saw the outline of his body under the covers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that it was nearly midnight.

"Will," she whispered. If he was awake, he would have heard it, but she was quiet enough to not disturb him if he was asleep.

"Yes?" he asked.

Good. He was awake. She needed someone to talk to.

"I'm scared."

She saw him roll over to face her. "Are you nervous for the wedding? Is –"

"No," she chuckled. "No. It's the house. I mean, what if we made a mistake –"

Kate," he said softly. "When we went into the office...all I could think about was how to design a nursery. I thought where to put the crib, the rocking chair...I don't think we're making the wrong decision. You loved it, you even said so yourself."

"I know. A-And I do love it." She sighed. "Eighteen-year-olds are not supposed to buy houses."

"We made a fine choice," he said. "That is going to be the house you and I make many a memory in."

She smiled, then closed her eyes. "We will," she said, partly to herself. "We will."


	30. A Future Together

Chapter Thirty

A Future Together

I'm at chapter thirty and I haven't even gotten through a month in the story...LOL. I'm sorry if it's taking such a long time, but I really can't rush this plot line. Please stick with me, guys! The plot is going to get a lot better now, I promise! (Oh, and sorry for the short chapter...again.)

Right now I'm reading To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker, and James Sterling is so much like Jack Sparrow it's scary!

* * *

Melissa was now seven weeks pregnant. She wasn't showing yet; in fact, from her morning sickness, she had lost a couple of pounds. Melissa knew that in just a few weeks, that would start going the other way. That's when people would probably start noticing and/or asking if she was pregnant. Her parents would probably be among the first to figure it out, along with Kate. She did have that dress fitting to go to for her bridesmaid dress, after all. Thank goodness that Kate wanted an empire waist for her.

She wasn't sure how exactly she was going to tell people. Would she just have people figure it out, or would she wait for a while? It would be extremely hard to tell people, especially her parents. She could only imagine what her parents would do. Her dad would probably find Jack and proceed to murder him, while her mother would probably sit, dumbfounded.

"How do I tell them?" Melissa asked Jack Sunday morning downstairs in her bedrom. Her parents had left for church already. She was eating an apple, while Jack was watching "Wedding Crashers" – something that he said would give him an idea for a modern wedding. "I mean, I haven't gone to church with them for two months. Do you think they suspect something?"

"They will think ye've turned on yer saint-like ways, hence th' beginnin' o' a rebellion internally fer ya," he said. "They will suspect that yer not the naive, good-girl ya used t' be. 'Alf true; yer still too naive fer yer own good. They, though, will not suspect that yer carrying Jack Junior."

"I'm not rebelling, internally or otherwise." She paused. "You're sure that they don't think I'm pregnant? Because if I'm going to tell them, I'm probably going to wait until after my first trimester, just in case I have a miscarriage."

"But I thought we were goin' t' move in sooner than later. How do you explain that to Father now, darlin'?"

How _would_ she explain that? They didn't even know that she had a boyfriend, and here she was, pregnant!

"I don't know," she said. "Maybe I could start with Kate. She'd be more accepting. She's going to be the godmother, I think."

Kate was going to be happy for her, Melissa just knew it. Her parents would probably judge first. Maybe while they were out shopping for dresses in a week with Kate, she could bring it up. But Melissa knew that she was stressed getting the wedding ready in time and probably didn't need a pregnant friend to add to her list of melt-down triggers.

First, she and Jack would find a home to rent. Then she could tell her parents and keep as mum as possible about it until she completed her first trimester, which was the week of September 23. Then, when Kate came back from her honeymoon, she could tell her that she was pregnant.

Although, she had a feeling that Kate would get angry at her for not telling her before, which, really, could make things worse between the two of them. They had never kept secrets from each other, and now Melissa had not told Kate that she was pregnant. If they decided to stop talking after New York, this was all her fault. She hadn't communicated enough with her. That was the key in every great relationship: communication.

"Is this 'ow t' really act at a weddin'?" Jack asked, after Melissa thought about how and when to tell people that she was pregnant.

She rolled her eyes. "How many weddings have you _been_ to?"

* * *

Kate and Will arrived back in Minnesota at 3:30. Both agreed that New York was a wonderful place and couldn't wait until they moved there. Will couldn't help but think about the apartment, though. Would it really be their's? 

They went into the parking garage and went into the car. Kate said she would drive, since he had yet to maneuver downtown Minneapolis/St. Paul. He got into the passenger seat, and Kate then went down to the exit to pay for the days they had parked.

Will heard Kate's cell phone ringing just as she was pulling up to the toll booth, money in her hand. She sighed.

"Will, can you get that for me? It could be Faith. My phone's in my purse."

He zipped open her purse and found the phone. He saw that it was an unknown number, and guessed that it was Faith about the house. Would they really have an answer already? It had only been a day since they made their offer.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hi, this is Faith Richardson," she said on the other line. "Is this Kate Sims or Will Turner?"

"This is Will," he said. "Do you have news on the house?"

"I do, actually," she replied.

"Did we get it?" Kate mouthed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"I spoke to the couple yesterday that owned the house, and they accepted your offer. Congratulations! The house is your's on September 10."

"We got it," Will said, beaming.

Kate gasped, a wide smile on her face. She immediately hugged and kissed him. "We got the house!"

Will heard the lady at the tollbooth clear her throat. Kate turned around, embarrassed, and collected the change.

"Miss Richardson, thank you!" Will said. "This is absolutely wonderful to hear! Kate and I were thinking about it all day."

"They were more than ready to have their house be sold. It's been on the market for two months. They would have been stupid to not give to such a deserving couple."

Kate put the change in her purse and pulled forward. "Ask her when they're moving out."

He pulled the speaker away from his mouth. "September 10," he said to Kate, then said to Faith, "May we speak to you later? We're a bit busy right now."

"Oh, of course. Kate has my number."

Will beamed even more than before, if that was possible. "Thank you again, Miss Richardson."

He put the phone back in her purse to see Kate lit up like a thousand candles.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, coming to a stoplight. "We really got the house? This isn't just a dream?"

"If this was a dream, I wouldn't be able to do this." He kissed her on the lips, a hand on her left cheek, drawing her closer.

She broke away and smiled. "You're right. It's not a dream."

* * *

Evening rolled around. Jack and Melissa were in her room, sitting on her bed, listening to the radio. Melissa was bored: she hadn't done much today. She had been too lazy. Melissa was unambitious to go back to work, just like every Sunday. 

"Have you thought about names?" she asked him, dimming the radio down a bit.

"Er...I've considered a couple," he said.

It put a smile on her face each time that he said something about the child. He had thought about names already? She hadn't!

"What ones?" she asked.

"Joshua," he said.

The name wasn't horrible. She had other names that she liked a little more, but Joshua was tolerable.

"What else in the way of boys? Jack?" she teased.

"Course not," he said. "Why would I want me son named Jack Sparrow Jr.? Only whelps and eunuchs are juniors, and besides..." he raised a finger. "The world should only 'ave one Jack Sparrow."

He had to have been the most arrogant man that she had ever come across.

"I've always liked Ryan," she said. "Any other names you like?"

"Aaron, I s'ppose."

"I think of my middle school days when I hear the name Aaron. Aaron Carter? No."

"No, Aaron Sparrow!" he said.

She still had to introduce him to Aaron Carter – he would never want to name their possible son that, then.

"I like Jordan," Melissa said.

"Eh. 'Eard better. Let's try girl's names. Now, 'ear me out." He raised a finger. "Pearl."

She could write a book about the reasons why they shouldn't name their possible daughter Pearl.

"No!" she protested. "We are not naming our daughter after your ship!"

"'N' why not?"

She could hardly believe that he really wanted to name their possible daughter Pearl. Melissa was praying for their child to be a boy so they couldn't fight over this.

"Because it's a boring name! It was in vogue a hundred years ago. What about something a little more modern, like Audrey?"

Obviously in a bad mood from having Pearl shot down, he shook his head. Something told her that this was not the last of their argument on Pearl.

"Ana," he mumbled, then spoke a little louder. "First name Ana, middle name Maria. After Anamaria. Ana's Anne in Spanish. She's one o' the best women I've e'er come across."

"I didn't think you were about to suggest Giselle or Scarlet," she teased. "Ana is pretty, though. I like Amy a lot."

"I still think Pearl's better," he grumbled.

"What about Amy, though?"

He shrugged. "Amy's pretty, I s'ppose."

So he did like it! He obviously wanted Pearl more, but would be able to tolerate Amy.

She cuddled up against him. He put an arm around her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said. "You really are a good man."

At times, he could be selfish and arrogant like no one's business, but when they talked about the baby, he could see his guard coming down, even though he was using all of his strength to push it back up.

She remembered that one week ago she found out that she was pregnant. Melissa was glad that she wasn't where she was a week ago. She did not want to go back to a day that she was so scared.

Melissa heard "Makes Me Wonder" come on the radio. She hadn't heard that song with him in nearly a month, but she always thought of him when she heard it.

"Jack," she said. "This was the song."

"A bit more o' a description would be greatly 'ppreciated, love," he said.

How could he forget such an important song?!

"July 7," she said. "It's..."

"This song?" he asked. "Was th' song?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I was thinking that it could be our song."

He groaned. "Yer soundin' like Kate!"

"Please? I'll think of you even if you say no."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Fine. If it's so important t' ya, 'Makes Me Wonder' can be our song."

Melissa smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. She realized that he really _was_ a good man, even if at times, he didn't act like one.


	31. Kate Finds Out

Chapter Thirty-One

Kate Finds Out

* * *

Will was feeling the effects of jet-lag the next morning. He found it harder to get out of bed when Kate told him to, even if he was to find out whether or not he got the job today as a photographer. 

He had experienced nights with little or no sleep before, but this was different. It felt like it was supposed to be an hour later than what it really was. How could one travel so frequently? It was a tiring thing to do!

Kate drove them to an area a bit further south than Fort Snelling, then parked the car near a prairie with a small, old house made out of wood. There were a few cars parked there, too, most likely hair and make-up crew, as well as Jacques.

Both got out of the car and went to the house. Jacques said something to Kate, then she disappeared into the house. He guessed that she was told to get ready.

Jacques walked to the computer station set up, the hot sun beating down on them. Will hesitantly followed him in anticipation for his news.

"Eh...Jacques –" began Will before he was interrupted.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "Just the person I wanted to see. I have word about your job position in New York." He picked up a white envelope addressed to Will next to the computer and handed it to him.

Nervously, he opened the envelope. If he didn't get this job, he would have to think of a different job in just a month's time – and most likely travel to get one.

William Turner,

We are very pleased you wished to contact Anthropolgie about a photography in position in New York City. After careful consideration, we have decided to give you the position as photographer. Your pictures truly were wonderful – we expect only the best, and that you will deliver the same amount of performance at a photo shoot.

Please contact us as soon as possible to discuss the time and date for your first photo shoot.

We look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,

Thomas Line

Nicole Marshall

He got the job! He would be working with Kate in New York as a team! How wonderful was this?

After Kate came out of the house in a knee-length black dress, her hair in a bun, she went to talk to Jacques, then he looked in Will's direction. Kate nodded, then walked towards him.

"Jacques says you have something to tell me," she said, a smile playing her lips.

He handed her the letter. "I got the job."

She didn't even read it before she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Congratulations!" she said.

He put his hands on her back, holding her close. He noticed she was an inch or so shorter than him when she was in heels.

"I have you to thank for being such a patient muse," he smiled.

"The pleasure was all mine."

* * *

Melissa thought back to one week ago. Today was only Wednesday – right now she would have been touring the University of Minnesota for orientation, instead of being at work, like she was now. Little did she know that she would see an infamous tragedy in Minnesota happen right before her eyes that very evening. 

She had thought about it everyday since then. Things were returning back to normal, but she had to wonder why she was so lucky. She knew that God was looking out for both her and her unborn child that day.

Melissa heard the door open around noon. Odd – there were no appointments until 1:00.

"Hey," Kate said, walking to the counter, several pieces of paper in her hand. "What's up?"

Kate! She had to know what happened in New York this weekend!

"I should be asking you that question," Melissa said. "Tell me all about New York. Did you find an apartment?"

"It was great!" she smiled. "And yes, we bought a house. It's in Queens; it's a great place. It's a wonderful starter home. Here's the pictures from the website. I printed them off last week."

She looked at the small pictures of the house. It looked something just like Kate and Will would like. It looked small, but cozy.

"So you and Will got a house already? Congratulations! When did you get the call?"

"Right after our plane landed. I was paying at the tollbooth, actually!" she laughed.

"Aww...that's great, Kate!"

Melissa was genuinely happy for them. She couldn't remember the last time that Kate was this happy. Her and Will really were perfect for each other.

"Here, let's go outside," Kate said, heading toward the door.

Melissa went around through the office to get to the waiting room, then went with Kate on the front step. She played with a strand of blonde hair, then placed her hands in her lap.

"So you're sure that you want to marry him?" Melissa asked. "Positive?"

"Of course! It seems like I've known him two years instead of two months. We signed a prenup, just in case things don't go according to plan."

_That's smart, seeing as it _has_ only been two months_, Melissa thought. 

"What about you?" Kate asked. "Tell me about you and Jack."

"We're good. We're moving in together, actually."

There were a few beats of stunned silence from Kate, as her eyes lingered away from Melissa's and took a sudden interest at a rock under a tree. Rightfully so that she was surprised – she had always opposed moving in with a boyfriend. She prepared herself for the "are-you-pregnant?" question she knew that Kate was thinking of.

"Th-That's great!" Kate managed to say.

_Now would be the perfect time to say you're pregnant! _one side of her said.

_Are you crazy?_ the other side asked. _Not at work! And besides, you were going to wait until the end of your first trimester!_

Melissa decided to go with her cowardly side. If she were to tell her friend of twelve years that she was no longer a virgin and now pregnant over the phone, she was sure that Kate would hit the roof.

"Are you getting married, then?" Kate asked.

"Jack?" she squeaked. "Of course not! This _is_ Jack we're talking about."

Melissa couldn't help but wonder if Kate was going to ask if she was pregnant. She just knew it was coming! Whenever Kate had something important to say, she was quiet to gather her thoughts and would look at something to either side of her – not forward or backward.

"I need to talk you, Mel," she said.

Great. Melissa was now having a lecture from her friend on the doorsteps to the vet office. Just what she needed.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to hide her annoyance. She knew it was about Jack. They were just talking about him, after all.

"It's so weird to see you with someone like Jack," she began. "You two are about as opposite as opposite can be. I don't mean to sound like a mom, but he's a bad influence on you."

No he wasn't! ...Was he?

"He told you that if you completed your glass of rum at Dani's house, he would get you a black-pearled necklace."

That was one time! He could do the right thing, though, like with the child!

"How do you know about the necklace?" she asked.

"Will told you while he brought you outside for some air."

Why was she getting a lecture on why Jack was not right for her? She didn't ask for one!

"What are you trying to say, Kate?" she asked.

"Break up with him! Please, I don't want you to get hurt!"

Had Kate really said to break-up with him? What a hypocrite! She knew how hard it was to have someone against someone she loved; why would she want anyone to feel the same way?

"I never once said anything about you getting married to someone you've known for two months," Melissa said.

"If you have something to say, then say it!"

Melissa knew that Kate's situation was different than her's. She was with a perfect match. Melissa, on the other hand, was with someone who could be an idiot, but could be a very good man, too. Unfortunately, all Kate ever saw was the idiotic side to him.

"I just want you to be happy," she said. "I know you want only the same for me, too. And I am, happy, Kate, you have to believe that."

"That's a lie if I ever heard one from you. You love him, and you're staying with him for reasons I can only begin to imagine. Maybe you feel like you can't let him go because you feel too attached to him."

Kate's green eyes had a look of both fear and sternness Melissa had never seen before. She knew that she was really being serious.

"Melissa, please, I'm asking you to do this for yourself. It's simple, just break up with him."

She was pregnant! Melissa couldn't break up with him, although she had contemplated it before.

"It's not that easy for me," she said.

"And why not?"

"Because I'm pregnant!"

It was too late before Melissa even realized what she said. Instead of saying that she understood and giving congratulations, Kate gathered her purse and picked up her keys.

"I'm seven weeks along," she said. "I was going to tell you after the wedding, I swear –"

"Thanks for telling me," she said bitterly before walking off.

This was not the reaction she was expecting. Instantly, she felt horrible for not telling her sooner.

"Kate!" she yelled, but was ignored.

* * *

Kate could hardly believe that Melissa had kept a secret like that from her. Seven weeks? How long was she hiding it?! 

That's why she was so defensive with Jack. She felt like the baby needed a father. And the baby did deserve to have a father, just not a jackass.

Had their friendship really faltered that much after her lust for Jack the Jackass? She wouldn't be surprised if it had faltered a bit in Melissa's eyes, but she deserved to know that her friend was pregnant!

Kate was mad at her for multiple reasons. She didn't either trust her enough to tell her that she had given something so valuable to Jack (which, once she thought about it, probably happened the weekend of July 7 – she was given that voicemail from her about Melissa needing her) or didn't want her to know. Was keeping that pure, good-girl image really that important to her?

Plus, she didn't tell her that she was pregnant! If she was pregnant, she could have found out two or three weeks ago. Why didn't she tell her? _After the wedding?_ Right. When would she really have told her?

Kate felt betrayed. Friends were suppose to share these things with great joy, and here Melissa was, hiding this!

Best friends for life. It was amazing that those four words can either break a friendship or ruin one.

* * *

After Will's driving lesson, Kate drove home. He couldn't help but notice that she looked angry – or was she sad? Or, worse yet, was it something that he did? She had hardly said anything since she picked him up. Whatever the answer, the woman he loved was obviously not happy.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Nothing. A woman's answer to everything.

"Are you upset with me?" he asked.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "No. Not you."

"So you are upset with someone."

A moments of silence passed before she said, "Melissa's pregnant."

Melissa? Pregnant? That didn't seem quite right.

"Melissa Lewes?" he confirmed.

"I know no other Melissas," she said, making a left-hand turn. "Why wouldn't she tell me? I mean, we've known each other for twelve years, I expected a phone call crying when she found out, not her telling me on the front steps of the vet office!"

"Perhaps she just found out," he offered.

"She's seven weeks along. I'm pretty sure she didn't just find out."

Kate did have a right to be upset. A secret was kept from her by a person that she could trust.

"She was frightened, I'm sure, and was worried what you would say," Will said.

Kate nodded and came to a stoplight. "I just wish she would have told me sooner. Do you think that Jack knows?"

"I'm sure he was the first person she told. He is the father, after all."

There were a few beats of silence before she said, "I don't think she's told her parents. They're _really_ strict Christians. If she was scared to tell me, I can't imagine how she's feeling about telling them."

Will couldn't imagine how Melissa was feeling right now. He did hope, however, that Kate didn't stay upset with Melissa. She was a good person who just got caught in a very difficult position.

* * *

Melissa was upset the rest of the day for keeping the secret from Kate. She did deserve to know, but she was frightened to tell anyone, even someone she had called her best friend.

If Kate was acting like this, she could only think of how her parents would react. She had no idea how to tell them. Kate was the easy one, and this was how she would treating her! Would her parents disown her? She couldn't pay for college on her own, nor could she live with them not speaking to her because she loved Jack.

"I told Kate today," she said to Jack while she put the mail on the upstairs kitchen counter. Her parents wouldn't be home for half an hour yet.

"Gave 'er blessing fer baby Sparrow?" he asked.

"Hardly. She's angry that I didn't tell her sooner. Which she has a right to, I guess." She opened the refrigerator door open to find her green apples gone. "Who ate my apples?"

No response.

She poked her head out and saw Jack looking sheepish. Melissa sighed. "Jack!"

"...I was 'ungry last night."

"Have some Goldfish next time," she mumbled. "I don't want her to be mad at me. I want her to know I feel stupid for not telling her, though."

"Then tell 'er," he said.

"What am I supposed to say, though? 'Yeah, I'm sorry for not telling you, but I didn't want you to have a mental breakdown before the wedding'?"

"Aye; she'll think ye're selfless 'n' will take ya back immediately."

"No, she wouldn't!" She sighed. "I just don't know what to do."

"Ya know...stress isn't good fer the baby," he said hesitantly. "Maybe we need t' go t' where those fangirls attacked me 'n' get ya some lavender bath salt."

"I'm not stressed, I'm just figuring out how to right a wrong."


	32. Dancing With the Wind

Chapter Thirty-Two

Dancing With the Wind

This chapter was really fun to write! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

Kate gave herself twenty-four hours to cool off before going to talk to Melissa again. The more she thought about it, the more she saw where Melissa was coming from. If she had been the one pregnant, she would have been scared, too. She liked to think that she would tell Melissa right away, but maybe she wouldn't. Maybe she would be too scared to think rationally.

If she found out she was pregnant right now, though, she'd be happy. She found out that she loved kids and wanted them with Will when Beckett had them take care of Willy. It would be difficult to have a career that could call her away at any time, though. She couldn't imagine how Melissa felt, though. Kate was sure that it was unexpected, and she had to go through her freshman year of college pregnant. Had she considered dropping out second semester, since she would have her baby halfway through it?

Kate met a surprised Melissa at Elm Creek Animal Hospital Thursday afternoon. She was working at her computer when she looked up to see her.

"Hi," she said. Kate didn't know quite what to say after how she reacted yesterday about finding out that Melissa was pregnant. She settled for, "Do you want to talk?"

"Sure," she said, her blue eyes wide with surprise. She met Kate on the front step a few moments later.

Kate didn't know what to say to make things better between them. She had to tell herself that she was not the only one to blame, though.

"I'm sorry," Kate said. "It was wrong of me to react that way –"

"No, I'm sorry," Melissa said softly. "I should have told you last week. I was so nervous, though."

Last week? She had known for a week and she didn't tell her?!

"I understand," she said. "I just wish you would have. Maybe it's because we're not as good of friends as we used to be. Face it: both of us have done things we wished we didn't this summer, and we've both hurt the other one because of it."

Kate remembered this was the same spot that she had apologized for wanting to sleep with Jack; she then admitted that she damaged their friendship. Now, Melissa was here, saying her apology and admitting that what she did had done the same thing to their friendship.

"Kate, no matter what we go through, I'm always going to remember that you were the girl who shoved me off the swing in first grade. Our friendship started in the most bizarre way, and it's going to take something equally bizarre to end it."

She was glad to hear that Melissa didn't want their friendship to be over. Kate didn't want it to be over, either, although she would admit that it wasn't as strong before the summer.

"I thought we could trust each other, though," Kate said. "If you'd have told me on..."

"Monday," Melissa said sheepishly.

She'd known for a week and a half and Melissa didn't bother to tell her?!

"On Monday," Kate continued calmly, "I would have reacted so much differently. I would have gone over to your house or wherever you were and I would have hugged you and never let go."

"I needed one of those that day," she admitted.

Kate couldn't imagine what Melissa was feeling the day she found out.

Once she really looked at Melissa, Kate saw that she didn't look like she was pregnant, except for a bit larger of a chest. It would make sense, if she was only seven weeks along.

"Jack knows, then?" Kate asked.

"Of course," Melissa said. "I told him the day after. On Tuesday."

Kate remembered on Wednesday, she and Will picked him up from work. He wasn't acting any differently. Then again, this _was_ Jack Sparrow. Hardly anything fazed him.

She thought back to the argument about Kate wanting Melissa to break up with him yesterday. That was probably why she was being so defensive, then.

"How does he feel about becoming a dad?" Kate asked.

"He's really sweet about it, actually. I think he's more excited than he likes to admit. He's thought about names and he told me yesterday that stress is bad for the baby."

Kate felt guilty that she had stressed her over this. She was surprised to hear that he was acting like he was about becoming a father. Then again, she didn't know what to expect with Jack.

"Do you think he's going to be a good dad?" Kate asked.

Melissa laughed. "Let's just be grateful that I have an idea of how to take care of a baby."

Kate couldn't help but remember what Jack had said when he saw Willy in the backseat of her car.

"I couldn't e'er be a parent," Jack said.

"And let's take a moment and thank God that you aren't," Kate replied.

Thank goodness that Jack had Melissa.

"We're still going bridesmaid and wedding dress shopping this weekend, right?" Kate asked.

"Of course! We have to get your dress picked out. I think sheath would look so romantic at the beach, but I could really see you in a ballgown style, too. Hey, you're the first of our friends to get married!"

Kate couldn't help but smile with how Melissa wanted to shop for wedding dresses. Knowing her, she had probably fought with Jack about marriage recently, only for the baby's sake, though. That's where Melissa would go wrong. She would wind up with her heart broken, doing something that she thought was right for someone else at the time.

"I think I'm the first person from the class of '07 to get married," Kate said with a chuckle.

Things were being mended between them. It amazed her that when they rarely did fight, they made up quickly. Kate knew it was going to be hard to maintain a friendship after the wedding, since 1,200 miles separated them. It would be too hard to say goodbye to someone that she had been through so much over the years with.

"I never got to congratulate you," Kate said. "I'm really happy for you and Jack."

She pulled Melissa into a hug. She couldn't go to New York while she was expecting! She needed to be here during the birth!

"Thank you," Melissa said, pulling away. "You'll be here for the birth, right?"

"I don't think I can, Melissa. I'm really sorry –"

"The due date is on Easter."

Easter? She was going to be coming home the week before to see family, and would probably extend her stay a few days, since she wasn't going to catch a red eye to be back in New York on Monday morning. Besides, her and Will could do an extra photo shoot before going back to Minnesota.

What lucky timing.

"Of course I'll be there!" Kate said.

Melissa smiled. "You're such a good friend."

Kate realized how hard it would be to move away from her. For the entire year that she had considered moving, she never once thought about how difficult it would be to actually leave Melissa and her family. Were it not for Will, she knew that she'd be on the phone every night with her, saying how much she missed her.

She knew why she agreed to marry Will at eighteen, and not nineteen. She couldn't stay in New York – by herself – for an entire year. It was a huge city for a person to live in by herself that was new to the state.

"You are, too, Mel," Kate said, putting an arm around her shoulder.

Kate knew she had to change the subject before she started tearing up. It was a hard thought, being torn away from Melissa.

"I think Will was thinking of getting his suit this weekend," she said. "Maybe you and I could take the guys downtown tomorrow, and you and I could go out for lunch while they get their suits taken care of.."

"My, isn't Will ambitious?" Melissa commented. "Don't men wait until two days before the wedding?"

"If you haven't noticed, Will _is_ ambitious," Kate teased.

A few beats of silence passed before Melissa said, "You really love him, don't you?"

Kate nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah. I do. And you love Jack, don't you?"

Kate knew that she loved him. She had said it multiple times before. How different would it feel to love someone and have their child, though?

"Yes," Melissa said.

* * *

Friday evening came. Kate and Will were taking a walk around a pond with a few townhomes. She recognized this as the place that she had first said that she loved him. That seemed like years ago, when, in reality, it was but two months ago. It really was amazing to see how much her life had changed in only two months. If someone had told her that she would meet her soulmate in her bedroom (which turned out to be the so-called fictitious Will Turner), meet the man that should eventually – and, stupidly – cheat with on Will, then get engaged to him after only a month after meeting him, she would have told them that they were crazy. Once she thought about it, _she_ was the one crazy for falling in love so fast. 

"I'm going dress shopping with Melissa tomorrow," she said. "I'm picking her up at her house at 11:00 for an 11:30 appointment we have."

He smiled. "You're buying your dress already. I remember when I proposed to you, you were wearing a white dress."

Kate remembered that she bought her dress at the mall when, a few shops down, Will was buying her engagement ring. She found it ironic that out of all the dresses in Dugo, the shop, she picked a white one that would, without her knowledge, lead to being proposed in.

Ironic.

"Must I wait thirty-six days to see you in that?" he asked.

Only thirty-six days until the wedding. That seemed too bizarre to even think about. She wondered when she would start second-guessing her decision and getting cold feet. With her luck, it would be the day of the wedding.

She really couldn't wait to have him see her in her wedding dress. Tomorrow, Melissa would probably be giving Kate her two cents about the dress. Did Melissa forget that she, too, was getting a dress?

"It's bad luck," she said.

"Temptation is sweet, though," he asked.

He had said that to her when he had been tempted to call Kate her future name. Will now said it to prove that he did want to see her in that dress, even though he knew that he should wait.

"You'll prove worthy of it at our wedding," she said.

She tried to picture walking down a candle-lit aisle with the sun setting, sprinkled with white rose petals, in a wedding dress to meet Will at the altar. Why couldn't she? She had been planning this for month straight!

Maybe it would be too perfect to try to imagine.

Will stopped walking. Kate, who was holding his hand, stopped with him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Don't you hear that?" he asked.

Her heart jumped in her chest. Was someone following them? "Hear what?"

"Just listen."

She strained to hear something, but all she could hear was the gentle wind rustling the leaves in the trees around her, the relaxing lapping of the pond, and the occasional bird chirping.

"I don't hear anything," she said.

He put a hand on her back and drew her close. She looked up into his eyes and saw that they were a warm, inviting brown.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly.

"Don't you hear that? The music."

There was nothing except the wind and water. There was no music!

"I don't," she replied.

"The wind..."

He started to sway slowly. Matching his movements, she swayed, too. She had never danced to no music before.

"The water..."

She rested her head on his chest. Kate could hear the beating of his heart. Never before had she felt this connected with a someone before. This was not just her fiancé, this was her best friend; The One.

"I've never met anyone like you," she murmured.

"Neither have I," he said.

The silence between them was replaced with the "music" – the gentle wind and the lapping of the waves in the pond. Kate never wanted to let the breeze end. She wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms, dancing, until the end of time.

"Someday I'll take you on a ship," he said softly. "You and I can dance on the helm to the water."

Kate could imagine him saying one day to dress nice, that they were going out. It didn't have to be a an anniversary or Valentine's Day. Knowing Will, he would take her out to a ship any day.

"I'd like that," she smiled.

Kate had never imagined that she could love someone so much, especially in such a short amount of time. She believed in past lives – maybe they had one together.

Kate wasn't sure how long they were dancing to the breeze and gentle waves. It could have been two minutes or half an hour, she wasn't quite sure. This vaguely reminded her of the time they were in the parking lot of EITC Couples Counseling Center, where they had their first real kiss after making up – in the rain, no less. She remembered feeling like she was falling deeper in love with him the day he finally forgave her. This didn't quite feel the same. They weren't overcoming an obstacle, they were just being them: a couple deeply in love.

* * *

Jack had been listening to Melissa talk for the past few minutes about her and Kate going out shopping for dresses for the wedding tomorrow. He didn't want to hear Melissa say another word about that for multiple reasons. 

One: Jack didn't want Melissa getting any ideas. Just one look at a wedding dress, and she'd probably start talking about getting married for the sake of the baby. He loved weddings, but he would never want one of his own. Jack could not be with one woman: that wasn't the way he was made to live on God's green earth!

Two: Kate was getting married off to William. Even though Melissa was pregnant, he would always feel some sort of lust for Kate. It wasn't his fault, he couldn't help it! He didn't want Kate getting married to William! She was too young to be making such a big decision – plus, why be married off to a whelp when she would have no commitment with Captain Jack Sparrow?

That would _not_ go well with Melissa if she knew what he felt towards Kate still. Did Kate feel anything towards him? With a fiancé, most likely not.

Three: He didn't need to be reminded that he would be confined to this room for a good four or five hours by himself. He knew that there was nothing on television on Saturdays. Not even "Maury"!

It was cute to see how excited she was, though. She talked about how warm Florida would be when they went there for the wedding, and that it would a sunset ceremony.

With the way she was talking, he thought that _she_ was the one getting married instead of Kate.

What if Melissa had picked up William's medallion instead of his? Would Jack be with Kate, or would William be with Melissa? Would Melissa be planning her wedding with William now? He could easily picture himself with Kate, since she was nearly Elizabeth reincarnated (and he had lusted Elizabeth very much), but it was weird to think of Melissa being with William. They didn't have the chemistry that Kate and William possessed.

Why did Kate have to have to have such amazing chemistry with The Whelp?

Better yet, why did Jack have to have such amazing chemistry with Melissa? The only reason they had said chemistry was because they fought so much.

Why did that have to make their relationship so amazing?


	33. Dresses

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dresses

Last update before school starts! Lots of choir competitions and concerts, as well as lots of Honors English essays...we'll see how often I can update.

Sorry that this has no Jack! You can count on him next chapter, though!

* * *

Along with her mother, Kate picked up Melissa for dress shopping. At the last minute, Kate insisted that her mother come with. She had said that she didn't want to see the wedding dress until she had picked it out, but Kate replied with "You're not Will – you're coming with!"

"Hi, Mrs. Sims," Melissa said, getting in the backseat with Kate. This reminded Kate vaguely of when the three of them used to go shopping together before they got their licences. That seemed like so long ago to her, yet it seemed like nearly no time at all.

"Good morning, Melissa," her mother said cheerily from the drivers seat.

Judging by her mood, Kate knew that Melissa hadn't told her parents yet. If her mother wasn't in the car, she would ask her more about the baby and when exactly she was going to tell her parents.

"Five more weeks," Melissa smiled. "What would you be doing at 11:00?"

What _would_ she be doing at 11:00 five weeks from now? If the wedding wasn't until 6:30...

"Probably getting cold feet," Kate half-joked.

"It's normal to get cold feet," her mother said from the front seat.

"Eva Longoria and Tony Parker didn't get cold feet, though," Melissa said.

Kate looked at her friend and rolled her eyes. Really, how blonde could she get sometimes? "You're a big help."

"No, I'm saying you and Will might not. You really love each other."

She wasn't stupid, Kate knew that they both were going to get cold feet at one time or another. Everyone got cold feet before their wedding.

"Speaking of shoes, what sort of shoes are you going to wear?" Melissa asked. "Walking on the sand in heels will be hard."

"I'm actually going to go barefoot, I think. Will's probably going to wear shoes, through."

"What about hair? Well, I guess it depends on the dress. We have to get your dress picked out first –"

Melissa should not be a vet. Kate knew that she would be an excellent wedding planner. Or was she getting excited because this is what she wanted: a marriage for the baby? Kate tried to convince herself that she was just excited for her.

"And that we will," Kate said with a smile.

* * *

The three arrived at the bridal store at 11:30 for their appointment. Kate looked around to see a wide variety of dresses. She couldn't wait to try some on! 

A woman with long, blonde hair in her mid-twenties came up extended her hand to her mother. "Miss Sims, welcome to Rush's Bridal. My name's Amy. It's wonderful to finally meet you."

Kate shook Amy's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, too."

Amy looked a bit surprised at first, then looked at the ring on her left hand for confirmation. She was used to people giving the same response. After the wedding invitations were sent out, she had about fifteen calls on Thursday, when of the invitees had gotten them. One of them – from her grandmother – said "You're getting married? I thought you and Scott broke up in May!"

After explaining to her, she was sure that she was going to give her grandmother a heart attack. Dating only two months? That was not an easy thing to explain.

One call came from her cousin, Jamie (the same age as her), who smelled too strongly of Burberry cologne, called her.

"Uh..." he had said. Jamie often talked like he was a surfer and didn't use a large vocabulary. "How come this dude's name is Will? What happened to Scott?"

Kate sighed. "He broke up with me in May. Don't you remember?"

"Oh, yeah...you were almost crying during your graduation party when my mom asked how you and Scott were."

Kate was growing annoyed of his brainless demeanor.

"Jamie, go put some more Burberry on. It's been a few minutes."

Jamie, obviously missing the joke, continued interrogating her.

"Are you pregnant or something?"

"No!" she said, exasperated. "I'm just marrying him!"

"Is he going over to Iraq?"

_"I am not pregnant, I am not going to be an army wife, but we _are_ moving to New York together! Don't you listen to me? I've talked about New York for a year!"_

_"Oooh, Kate's on the rebound!"_

She would prefer to explain why she was marrying Will again to her grandmother rather than relive that conversation with hallow-headed Jamie.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Amy said. "I assumed –"

"Don't worry," Kate dismissed.

Did it annoy her that people often were surprised that she was getting married? No, not much. It was if they were rude, like giving her an odd look, that bothered her.

Amy smiled. "Why don't you have a look around? Tell me when you'd like me to help you."

"I will, Amy. Thank you."

Kate turned to start browsing the racks. She saw that they were sorted by size, a big help. She ran her hands over the different fabrics. Some were smooth as silk, and others had more texture to them.

She saw a white tulle strapless ballgown. Kate pulled it out from the hanger and ran her fingers over it. The fabric was beautiful; it had embroidery scattered through the skirt. It was a beautiful dress, but she wasn't sure if it was right for a beach setting. She decided to hold onto it, just in case.

"That's so pretty!" Melissa commented.

"It is," Kate agreed.

A few moments later, Amy appeared by their side. She noticed that she had a key around her wrist.

"Would you like me to hold on to that for you, or would you like to try it on now?" she asked.

Kate decided that it would be best to try them all on at once. She didn't want to have her mind set on one specific dress; not when she hadn't finished looking!

"You can hold on to it," she said.

"Perfect. Let me get you a room to hang this in."

Amy took the dress from Kate and went off into one of the back changing rooms.

_Nice service_, Kate thought. 

"For you, Melissa, I'll look at a sheath," Kate said, browsing over each dress. The sheaths were too plain; the rest of the ballgowns were too embellished. The mermaid silhouettes looked like they would be too hard to walk in, and the princess silhouettes looked too frilly for her taste.

After an endless search, and a few beautiful finds, she found a white, silky dress in the back that was, as Melissa advised, sheath. With a sweetheart neckline and an empire waist, along with some embroidery, Kate felt her heart nearly stop. She was convinced that this was the dress. This had to be, right?

"Wow," Melissa breathed, running her fingers over the fabric. "Kate, that is _really_ pretty."

It _was_ very pretty. Kate couldn't believe she was holding a dress so beautiful. She knew this is the dress that she was meant to wear.

"It's your size, you have to try it on!" she urged.

"Can I take that from you?" Amy asked, walking up to Kate.

She didn't want to let this dress out of her sight. She loved it!

"Actually, could I try it on?" Kate asked.

"Of course! Here, I'll take you to your dressing room." Amy directed her attention to her mother and Melissa. "You two can take a seat right over there." She pointed to a light blue loveseat by a tall mirror. "It'll be just a moment."

Kate was lead into the dressing room. She changed into the dress and veil, with a bit of help from Amy. The first thing Kate noticed about it – since there was no mirror – was that it fit like a glove. There would be no adjustments needed (which she was grateful for – she wasn't sure if she'd have time to get it altered.

She could hardly believe that she was trying on a wedding dress. Kate hoped that this would be the one for her. She knew it was beautiful: the question was, would she look beautiful in it?

Barefoot, she stepped out of the dressing room and to the three-way mirror where her mother and Melissa were waiting. She smiled nervously at the wide-eyed women in front of her, then inspected herself in the three-way mirror by them.

"Oh, Kate!" Melissa gasped.

Kate loved it. It glided over her body and skimmed the floor behind her. This was, without a doubt, The Dress.

"What do you guys think?" she asked her mother and Melissa, wanting a second and third opinion. Kate turned around to face them. "Do you think it's too much?"

"Will is going to be in amazed!" Melissa said, standing up and going next to her. "Look at you, Katie! You're...you look_ amazing_ in this! Picture this in a sunset wedding on the beach!"

This really did match the beach vibe. Melissa was right on with sheath. Kate was glad that she listened to her.

"What do you think, Mom?" Kate asked. "Do you like it, too?"

Her mom got up and stood on her other side. "That dress was made for you!"

Five weeks from now, it would be her, this dress, a bouquet of flowers, and her father walking her down the aisle to meet Will.

* * *

After purchasing Kate's dress, Melissa suggested they stop for lunch. The three stopped at Taco Bell for a while, then left to get Melissa's bridesmaid dress. After Kate showed Melissa which one she wanted her to wear, she went off to a dressing room.

Once Melissa had the strapless, celadon green dress on, she realized that it wasn't as bad of a green that she feared. An empire waist would be good for her changing body now – if she had to have one that was a bit more form-fitting, she would have to have it taken in before she left for Florida, probably.

Dare she say it, did she actually like a bridesmaid dress? A green one, no less!

She stepped out of the changing room and went to a three-way mirror where Kate and her mother were waiting. Kate smiled in approval.

"You look so pretty, Melissa!" she said, standing her in front of the three-way. "We'll leave your hair down and curl it...you can go barefoot, too, I think."

Melissa was grateful for Kate's casualness with the wedding. It was going to be small, so there really wasn't a need to dress up (not much, at least). Were this a few years in the future, things would probably be different. Kate could plan the wedding from New York and it could be larger, thus calling for a bit more formality.

But this _was_ Kate – she couldn't see it being too formal. Getting married in a cathedral wasn't her. Getting married on a beach was.

"I think that would look really nice, Kate," she said.

* * *

Will found it hard to think about anything else that afternoon while he was helping Kate's father wash his car in the driveway. His fiancée was picking out her wedding dress right now; the one that she would walk down the aisle in; the one that they would be pronounced his wife in front of all their guests. 

He couldn't wait to see her in the dress. He tried to tell himself that it was only five more weeks, but five weeks seemed too long!

"So...William," her father said.

Will knew that if a future father-in-law said that, it was never good to hear. A very long talk was in store.

_Wonderful_, he thought. 

"Yes, sir?" Will inquired, picking up a wet sponge and washing a window.

"You love my daughter, don't you?"

He had never had this talk with Mr. Sims before, not even when he was researching engagement rings and hotels with him. Will had with Governor Swann, though, shortly before he proposed to Elizabeth. He knew from experience this was not a pleasant talk.

"Of course," Will said. "Sir, I love your daughter more than I can explain."

This didn't seem to persuade Mr. Sims quite yet.

"She's my little girl, William." He picked up a sponge and cleaned the hood of the car. "She's eighteen and ready to be married to you. I don't want to give her away." He looked up at Will. "Nothing personal. You'll understand when you have a daughter."

How could that not be personal?

"I understand, Mr. Sims," he said.

"Very good, my boy," he said. Mr. Sims let go of the sponge and looked at Will, arms crossed. In return, Will stopped washing the window. This made him slightly nervous. He knew from experience that Kate's father was not necessarily a pushover when it came to her choice of men.

"And you understand that if you ever – _ever_ – break my little girl's heart..."

Mr. Sims looked behind Will. He followed his eyes and noticed that there was a shotgun case with two different guns inside. Will seemed to lose his voice for a moment. He hadn't noticed those before.

"I'll hurt your's in return."

Will knew that Mr. Sims wasn't joking. He had no reason to be nervous, though. Will was going to take good care of Kate – why would he even think for a moment that he wouldn't?

But why was this threat of shooting him making him nervous?

"I trust we've come to an understanding, William," Mr. Sims said lowly, a foot from him.

It took him a few moments to find his voice before he said, "Y-Yes, sir."

Mr. Sims smiled and backed away. "Wonderful. No worries, then."

After a few moments of silence, Will continued washing a window.

_No worries? _he questioned Mr. Sims. 


	34. An Excursion

Chapter Thirty Four

An Excursion

Wow, this is a long chapter! I never thought I'd get done with it. Hope you all like it!

* * *

The next day, Jack, Melissa, Will, and Kate went into Minneapolis again – this time for Jack and Will's suits. Kate had driven downtown and paid for parking at a meter. The four got out of the car, which was parked a block away from the shop that Will and Jack planned to go to.

"We'll see you in a while," Kate said to Will, letting go of his hand. "Use the store's phone to call my cell when you get done. You know the number, right?"

Will was more than familiar with her cell phone number. She had made sure that he knew it a few days in advance.

"Of course," he said.

"We're going for lunch at Billy's, so I may not hear it the first time. Keep trying, though. The restaurant's a few blocks that way." Kate pointed to the street behind her.

Will nodded. "That way. Right. I'll remember."

She smiled. "Have fun and pick out a good suit."

"Would I do anything else?" he teased.

Kate laughed that intoxicating laugh of her's. He would say anything to hear her laugh.

"Bye," she said, walking away with Melissa. In return, Will walked away with Jack towards the shop.

"Just ye 'n' me, lad," Jack said, putting an arm around Will's shoulder. "Now, I 'ave a very pressin' matter t' speak t' ya 'bout."

Will could only imagine what a pressing matter was in Jack's mind. He didn't have good experiences with pressing matters with Jack.

"What is it this time?" Will asked, trying to mask the bit of annoyance that he felt.

"Ya make it sound like Kate asked ya t' kill a spider. And William, I am not yer bonny lass, nor did I ask ya t' kill a spider."

Will bit his tongue at the things he could say. He wondered how Melissa put up with him – he could barely tolerate five minutes with him and his insane ideas.

"What _is_ it?" Will asked, his toleration to find out what Jack was talking about waning.

"'Ave ye e'er 'eard o' th' Fountain o' Youth?"

Was Jack implying what Will thought he was?

"I've heard tales," Will admitted. "One sip of water and one becomes immortal."

"The tales ye've 'eard are correct, lad! 'N'...ya wouldn't 'appen t' know where th' Fountain o' Youth lies...would you?"

Did Jack know something that he didn't? He had no desire to drink from the Fountain of Youth, even if it was in front of him, although it could be tempting once he saw it.

"No...This isn't a new adventure for you, is it?"

"My, ya catch on fast, me boy." Jack chuckled, then said, "I prefer to look at it as an excursion more than an adventure. Ya see...th' Fountain o' Youth's in Florida, where ye 'n' yer betrothed's weddin's t' take place. 'N' Mel refuses t' go with me, 'n' I very well can't search by it by meself, I was wonderin'..."

No. Will was not going to spend the days before his wedding searching for the Fountain of Youth – something that he could say with 99.9 certainty did not exist. Had being eaten by the Kraken really made him go that mad?

"'Ow would ye 'n' Miss Sims like to go on a bit of an excursion after the weddin' 'n' bring me back a bottle?"

Jack really had gone mad. He expected him to find the Fountain of Youth during his first days married to Kate? How selfish was he?

"You can't honestly expect me to search for the Fountain of Youth," he said.

"No, I don't expect ya t' search for th' Fountain o' Youth; I expect ya t' find it 'n' bring me back a bottle, savvy?"

Will was stunned. Jack really was serious about finding it, that didn't surprise him. What surprised him was that Jack expected him to find it – on his honeymoon, no less!

"Don't expect anything," Will replied, going into the shop.

Jack stopped and waited at the counter for some service with Will. "Think of all that I've done fer ya, though!"

"What could you possibly have done for me?"

Jack counted the reasons on his fingers. "Led ya t' Lizzy...Saved yer life b'fore Barbossa was 'bout t' slit yer throat..."

Even though Jack saved his life, he was not going to search for the silly Fountain of Youth after the wedding. It didn't even exist!

"And lately you sent me to the Dutchman to settle your debt! That cost me five lashes –"

"Will?"

That voice didn't come from Jack. It came from behind the counter. Will recognized that voice. He had heard it just a few months ago for the first time in years.

The voice belonged to his father – "Bootstrap" Bill Turner.

Will turned to face his father and saw him in his pre-Dutchman days. He didn't have a starfish attached to his face anymore, nor was he in his tattered sea clothes. His father was dressed in a suit, instead. His hair was the same length, though; he looked the same, but yet so different.

"Will," his father smiled. "What are the odds?"

What were the odds? He knew that since his scars disappeared a few weeks ago, that he was going to encounter someone from his past. Will had hoped that it was his father, but knew that it could be Davy Jones, as well. He was grateful that it was his father, though. And they met before the wedding!

"Very small," Will admitted.

"Improbable," Jack chimed in.

"What are you doing here?" his father asked both of them. "Attending a wedding?"

"I'm attendin' Turner Jr.'s," Jack said, pointing to Will.

Will preferred to tell his father that he was getting married, but there was no taking back Jack's words now.

"Is that true, Will?" he asked. "You're getting married? What about Elizabeth?"

He hadn't thought about Elizabeth in a while. Will didn't have a reason to.

"She had an unfortunate lapse in judgement that made me not feel the same way about her," he said, glancing at Jack. "Our engagement ended shortly after I was sent on the Dutchman to settle a debt."

There was an awkward silence. Of course his father wouldn't know what to say when he found out that he ended an engagement with one woman and got engaged to someone else, all without his knowledge.

"Tell me about her," his father said.

Will beamed. "She's beautiful. Her name is Kate Sims. She's in the modeling industry."

"She's also an anorexic!" Jack said, holding up a finger.

His father frowned. "An anorexic?"

"One o' those girls that don't eat 'cause they think they're fat," Jack informed with a smile.

Could Jack be any more uncouth? Kate did not have an eating disorder, she confirmed that the second day they met.

A concerned look spread over his father's face. "Will, we need to have a talk about this."

"Jack, she does not have an eating disorder!" Will said. "She has spoken to me about the matter in private, and I have seen her eat – trust me, she is not anorexic. If I had any concerns, I would be the first to speak to her."

His father's concern lessened, then nodded. "You have a good head on your shoulders, boy. I know you'll look out for her."

At least his father believed him. How could Jack say that about Kate? He knew that was a lie, too, yet he said it, despite the fact.

"I am going to be able to meet this Kate before the wedding, right?" his father asked. "Assuming I'm invited."

"Of course you're invited!" Will said. "Wait...Kate...she – just a moment. I'll be right back!"

As Will left the shop, he heard Jack say, "Thanks for the gracious invitation, William, but I'll stay here."

Off he went to find Kate at Billy's.

* * *

Things were not making sense to Bootstrap. 

After his one hundred year captaining on the Dutchman, he was freed by Calypso. He spent the rest of his life at sea with a crew, then was told by her that, for his deeds on the Dutchman, he would be able to live a life once more in the twenty-first century.

What confused him was that he knew Elizabeth and Will had gotten married (and knew Will had served his time on the Dutchman), but Will was about to marry another girl. And what was this about Elizabeth "making an unfortunate lapse in judgement"? Apparently Will had forgiven her for whatever it may have been.

What year was his son transported to the twenty-first century? How many years was he here? He guessed that he was transported shortly before or after leaving to get Jack at world's end.

Bootstrap wasn't about to tell his son that he had married someone else. He seemed to really love this Kate; he could tell just when he was talking about her. Why hinder his chance at a marriage he would experience by telling him what had happened in the past?

_What a strange world_, he thought.

* * *

"So, tell me all about the baby," Kate said. Her and Melissa were nearing Billy's now; they were a few restaurants away.

The baby. What couldn't Melissa tell her? She was growing more accustomed – and excited – for it.

"We've discussed names," Melissa said. "Jack is set on Pearl for a girl and Joshua if it's a boy. I'm partial to Amy and Ryan."

"You haven't found out the gender yet, have you?" Kate asked. "You're only eight weeks along, I thought."

"Yes, I am," Melissa confirmed. "But, no, I have to wait until September to find out. They have early gender testing now. You get a kit in the mail, and you put some blood on a bit of paper that comes with it. You send it back and they do some testing for a Y-chromosome, and you'll find out in a few days if it's boy or a girl."

"Ah," Kate replied. "You're going to want to find out, I assume?"

"Yeah, as early as possible. That way Jack can start putting together a nursery. We're going to look at a house we can rent tomorrow right after work."

"I never got a chance to ask you yesterday, but...you haven't told your parents yet, have you?"

Melissa promised herself that she would before she moved out. She still had to think of how to tell them!

"Um...See, I'm taking my time for a reason –"

"Mel!" Kate groaned. "How can you not tell them?"

"No, I'm going to tell them. It's going to be when I'm ready, though."

The only response she got was an eye roll.

"Kate!" Melissa heard someone shout behind her. "Kate!"

She turned around to see Will running towards them – or, as quickly as one could run through a sidewalk filled with people. Melissa held Kate's arm to make her stop. She must have heard his voice, too, for she turned around.

Melissa couldn't think of a reason that Will was running after them. Did something happen at the store? And where was Jack? Did someone try and break into Kate's car?

"Will!" Kate said, once he was near her. "What's wrong? Did something happen with Jack?"

Oh, no! What if something _did_ happen with Jack? But he was healthy; what could possibly have happened?

"Kate..." he said, catching his breath. Understandable, the store was about three blocks away. "I saw him."

"Saw who?" she asked.

"My father. It wasn't Jones that we were going to see."

Wait – Will had just seen his father, Bootstrap? That was impossible!

The look on Kate's face was priceless. Her green eyes widened in shock, her lips parting slightly. "Your _father_?"

"Yes, he works at the suit shop. He wants to meet you now."

Melissa remembered the dream that she had a month ago where he and Jack were going out to Billy's and they encountered Bootstrap. It was a slightly different scenario, but still unexpected.

"Now?" she echoed.

"Kate, he'll adore you," he promised.

Melissa knew she had no choice but to agree. She couldn't help but feel bad about meeting his father on the spot. Then again, that's probably he met her parents. They were not engaged at the time, though!

Kate nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Kate was about to meet Will's father for the first time. 

She was not prepared to meet her future father-in-law at a store.

Truth be told, she wasn't prepared to meet him at all.

She hadn't anticipated on ever meeting him. Kate had forgotten about it shortly after she found the scars on Will's back. She wasn't sure if Beckett really was telling the truth about expecting signs. Today, she found out that he, in fact, wasn't lying.

She was very nervous to meet him. If, for some reason, they didn't get along, there was no going back. She tried not to let herself think that way. This was Will's father!

This had happened all so suddenly – Kate wasn't sure if she was ready for this. She had no choice, though.

Off to meet her father-in-law-to-be.

* * *

Bootstrap saw his son walk in with a tall, thin brunette with him. He was right, this Kate really was beautiful. She didn't appear to be nervous – there wasn't a reason, was there? 

He saw that with him, was a thin, shorter blonde with light blue eyes. She was beautiful, as well. Were the two cousins?

Most likely not, he figured, as she went up to Jack. He wondered if this was his newest wench.

Will and Kate went up to the counter. Will was the first to speak between them.

"Father," he began, "this is Kate, my fiancée. Kate, this is my father, Bootstrap."

Kate smiled and extended a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Turner. I've heard so much about you."

He was flattered by her using formalities, but this was going to be his daughter-in-law – he didn't want to hear her call him Mr. Turner every Christmas.

Had Will really talked about him? He couldn't help but smile – at both comments, actually.

"Mr. Turner...what am I, _old_?" he chuckled. "Between you and me, it's Bootstrap."

He hoped that whatever nerves Kate had, that would settle them. She didn't appear nervous, though. He shook her hand.

He turned his attention to the blonde at Jack's side. She extended a hand as well. "Melissa Lewes," she said. "I'm Kate's friend."

"Nice to meet you, Melissa," he replied. Bootstrap couldn't help but notice that she and Jack seemed like they were more than friends. Although, it wasn't the fact that she had gone up to him that was the biggest giveaway. If he knew anything about Jack Sparrow, it was that he could not be only friends with a woman.

He turned his attention to his son and Kate. He could tell by Will's eyes that he loved her deeply, much like Bootstrap had loved his own wife many years ago, and, in return, she could see it in her emerald eyes. It seemed that they had known each other for a long time.

Bootstrap couldn't help but eye the engagement ring that Will had given her. It was quite beautiful. He couldn't help but wonder how long that ring had been on her finger.

"Will told me you have a date for your wedding," Bootstrap said to Kate.

"Oh, we do, actually," she smiled. "September 15."

That was a bit more than a month away. He was grateful that he was reunited with Will at such wonderful timing.

"You've been planning this for seven months or so?" Bootstrap asked them.

"No, actually," Kate said. "One month only."

She'd only been planning this for one month, and they were to be married in September? It wasn't unheard of, but uncommon, to say the least.

"So you've been together for a long time, then," he said. "A year, perhaps?"

"Father –" Will began.

"Two months," Kate said.

Had his son gone mad, marrying a girl he had known only two months? They were rushing things much too fast! Why did they have to get married within three months of meeting?

"It feels like so much longer though, Mr. Tur – Bootstrap," she continued.

"It does," Will agreed. "We know that we're meant to be together. We've been through counseling, and we're so much stronger for things in our relationship that's tested us."

_Well spoken_, he thought. 

Bootstrap wasn't about to deny a couple so in love, especially not his own son. With a smile, he said, "I'd love to receive an invitation to such an important day."

Kate warmly returned the smile. "I'll make the arrangements. We're going to be leaving September 12 –"

"Love," Jack interrupted, "please don't tell yer future father-in-law the details o' our forced excursion – er, weddin'." He grinned. "Weddin'. I meant weddin'!"

Kate turned her attention to Jack. "If you don't care to go to our 'forced excursion', then give your plane ticket to Bootstrap."

"I would, but there's somethin' called a moral obligation, dear Katherine."

Bootstrap got the feeling that Jack and her fought often. There seemed to be tension between the two of them.

"How endearing," she replied. Kate then focused her attention back on Bootstrap. "Could we get together this week and talk about this -- and get to know each other a little better? Jack and Will should get their suits ready."

He was becoming more interested in the woman he was to call his daughter-in-law. Of course he wasn't going to refuse a chance to talk to her more!

"Dinner would be nice," he said. "I'm free in the evenings."

Will looked at Kate, then said, "Would Monday work? We really should get things taken care of before it's too late. On Wednesday, it'll be one month to go until the wedding."

He saw a look exchanged between her and his son that he had seen so few people exchange. Bootstrap had exchanged the same look with his wife many years ago. He knew that they truly did love each other very much, and that their marriage would last.

"Yes," he said. "Come over to my house! I'll make dinner for you. 6:00." He wrote his address on a piece of paper, then handed it to Kate. "Does that work?"

She looked over the paper, then nodded. "Yes, 6:00 is fine."

"It's an apartment in Minneapolis," he explained. "Twelfth floor."

"I see," she said. She put the paper in her pocket, then extended a hand. "Mr. Turner, it's been a pleasure to meet you, really. I look forward to seeing you again."

Instead of correcting her on formalities, he shook her hand. "And you, as well, Kate."

She turned to Will to kiss him before leaving with the blonde, Melissa. He knew that she must have been nervous, but she never faltered. Meeting a parent for a first time with only a moment's notice took courage – it showed that Will really did pick a good woman.

"Did you like her?" Will asked him as soon as the door closed behind the two girls, his brown eyes nervous.

Bootstrap smiled. He was sure that his son was more nervous than Kate, although it was probably close.

"I will be disappointed in you if you let her go, Will," he said. "You found a good girl."

* * *

Who had heard her heart beating in that shop? Had Will? What about Bootstrap? She'd never hear the end of it from Jack if he heard it! Kate was sure that everyone in the store heard it!

There was no reason to be nervous, though, she had quickly learned. Bootstrap was a good man. He quickly put her at ease and made her feel comfortable.

She was thankful that she had such a kind father-in-law. Anyone would be lucky to have him as one. She started to feel guilty that she had to tear Will away from his father right when they reunited. Kate couldn't help but feel like moving to New York was a selfish move. He was sacrificing so much for her happiness!

The Turners were good people, though. She wondered what Christmas would be like with him in his apartment, or Thanksgiving, even! Just the three of them for a small dinner.

She was growing more forward to finding out what exactly her future had in store for her with Will. Kate really had made a good choice by accepting his proposal. She couldn't imagine even a day without him.

How could it be that she felt so bonded to him already? It hadn't even been six months, and she felt like she had known him her whole life.

_That's the way love works_, she figured, a smile growing on her face.

* * *

Will noticed that the suits from today's world differed greatly from the ones that he knew. The jacket and suit fitted similarly, but the pants were looser. The collar on the shirt was tight with a bowtie, which his father helped him tie. He couldn't help but feel like a child with his father helping him tie it.

Will went to the three-way mirror to see the suit that his father had helped him pick out. He tried to imagine wearing this in their wedding pictures with Kate in her dress. Had she thought of the same thing when she was looking in the mirror in the bridal shop?

He had his hair pulled back, the way he was thinking of wearing it for the wedding. Or would Kate like his hair down? He had to ask her.

His father stood next to him and looked at him in the mirror. "You look good, Will."

He smiled. This was the suit he'd be married in in front of all their guests.

"Thank you," Will said.

There was a brief silence between them before he heard Jack say from one of the dressing rooms, "I'm not wearin' this!"

"I'm sure you look fine," Will said. "I want to see what it looks like."

"No, ya don't, mate," Jack said. "Ya _really_ don't."

"How bad can it be?" Will asked. "It can't be worse than the pink shirt. Nothing was worse than that."

"Imagine the pink shirt, times ten."

Will couldn't imagine anything worse than the pink shirt, though. To encourage him, though, he said, "I'm imagining it."

"And...?"

What more did he want?

"And I'd like to see if my theory's true."

"Want t' know my theory?"

The door swung upon, and out came Jack Sparrow, looking quite similar to a penguin when he was in a tuxedo. His dreadlocks and kohl-rimmed eyes looked horrible with such a nice suit.

Jack was right. It was much worse than the pink shirt he wore the day that Will went to his job interview at Fort Snelling.

He walked closer to Will and put a finger up. "Ya owe me...big time, Turner."


	35. Silence

Chapter Thirty-Five

Silence

* * *

After a long Sunday in the city, Melissa was ready for an exciting Monday. She hoped that this would be the house that she and Jack would rent. She didn't want to keep looking house after house for something suitable. 

Their standards weren't anything Hollywood worthy. They were just looking for a decent place to live until after the baby was born, then they would find a permanent place sometime after.

If Jack agreed, that is.

When they pulled up to the cream-colored townhouse, Melissa called her parents to ask to pick up Subway. That should serve as a distraction and give them enough time to look through the house and go back unnoticed.

After she hung up, she and Jack went to the landlord and knocked on the door. Melissa was excited to tour a house finally! They had talked about this since the end of June, now it was finally a reality! She wondered if Jack felt the same way.

A few moments later, a tall man with short, dirty blonde hair answered. "Hey, how you doing? Jamie Armstrong."

She shook his hand and smiled. "Melissa Lewes. It's nice to meet you, Jamie."

Jack then shook Jamie's hand. "Cap –"

With a step on his foot, Melissa covered up what else he could have said. Saying he was a captain wasn't the best way to make a first impression on a landlord.

"Jack," he settled for.

"Nice to meet you, Jack. Your townhouse is over this way."

Jamie led them to the entrance on the opposite side of the house. He unlocked the door with a key in his hand.

"It's 1,500 square feet, and $850 a month for rent," he informed the pair. "It's in a quiet area, I think you folks'll really enjoy it. It comes furnished, too."

Melissa liked the idea of them not having to spend any money on furniture. With the money they made, they couldn't afford to be spending it on that.

They stepped inside to see a cream-walled living room with a black sofa and chaise lounge, along with a medium-sized television and glass coffee table.

"I like the carpet," Melissa noted, taking a glace at the soft, white carpet..

_Good for the baby to crawl on_, she thought. 

"Aye." Jack paused, most likely realizing his mistake, then smoothly added. "Like it, too."

They went into a dining area with a four seat glass table (which was attached to the living room), then went to the kitchen. It had white counters with newer appliances.

"When was this built?" she asked.

"2002," Jamie replied. "Pretty new."

She couldn't help but wonder how many dinners she would set on fire in _this_ kitchen.

"Good kitchen," Jack commented. "I'll see to it that no flames burn it down, Jamie."

Melissa rolled her eyes, then was led to see the pantry and powder room next to the bathroom, then went upstairs. There was a small laundry room, with a side-by-side washer and dryer.

They went on to the bedroom next to it, aka the nursery. It's walls were blank and had a twin-sized bed in it. That wouldn't work out if they couldn't change the furniture.

"We don't have a need for a twin bed," she said, trying not to announce that she was pregnant. "Could we convert this into something else?"

"Of course," he said. "I have things in storage, like a computer desk. Even an unused crib."

Melissa was relieved that they could work around that. And an unused crib, too!

"This is a great room, though," she said.

Melissa found it hard to believe she was looking at their child's future nursery. She'd have to go shopping for things for the baby after Will and Kate's wedding!

Next to the nursery/bedroom was another bedroom of the same size. Melissa thought this would be a good room for Kate and Will if they chose to stay with them during winter break.

The next room was the master bedroom. The walls were maroon; it also had a window seat that overlooked the cul-de-sac that they were on. Melissa saw that the bedroom also had a walk-in closet and a dresser. Melissa made a mental note to claim that she got the closet and Jack got the dresser.

The master bathroom had double sinks, a tub, and toilet. This, apparently, was the last room in the house.

"Would you like me to give you a minute to talk things over?" Jamie asked them.

Glancing at Jack, Melissa nodded. "Yes."

"I'll be outside," Jamie said. "Talk to me when you reach a decision."

As Jamie went up the stairs, they sat down on the couch in the living room downstairs. Melissa really liked the house and knew that it would be good for the year or two that they lived here.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Liked bein' on th' Pearl better," he replied.

_Of course you do_, she thought. 

"I didn't ask if you liked your ship, I'm asking you about this house," she said, trying not to let her agitation get the best of her. "Do you want to live here?"

Jack shrugged. A shrug did not help them in their decision!

"Jack, this isn't going to be easy to find one. If we don't find one during the summer, when are we going to have time? I have school and a job, and you have a job..."

Melissa didn't want to think about trying to find a house while in school. Pregnant women were not supposed to be stressed, so, really, it was best for everyone if they agreed on the house now.

"I don't see why we can't just stay at yer 'ouse," Jack said.

Had all that alcohol finally settled into his brain? She wondered how intelligent – or lack thereof – that their child would be.

"Because my dad will have a mental breakdown or kick me out when he finds out! If he does decide that we can stay at home, he'd barely talk to me. I know that it'd be nice to save money on everything, but I don't think we've been given that choice."

Jack sighed. Melissa knew that by saying he'd take care of the baby with her, thus giving up his promise of not being with only one woman and not having a child – that he'd be responsible and involved with, that is.

"Fine. Besides, it'd be good fer after th' baby's born, if ya know what I mean," he said with a grin.

Melissa knew all too well what he was talking about. She hit his arm. "I don't want to think about that when I'm carrying your child and yet to give labor."

"Are you going to want to sleep in th' same bed with me 'gain?"

Melissa narrowed her eyes at him. "Probably not."

Jack chuckled nervously. "Eh...I'll rent th' 'ouse with ye, 'nyways."

Melissa softened her eyes, but still kept them on him. "That's what I thought."

* * *

After signing the papers to rent the house, Jack and Melissa went back into the car. She saw that the time was 5:50. That would not be enough time to get home unless they hurried, or her parents were miraculously late. If they arrived after her parents, Jack would have to lay in the back seat until after they went to bed, which was 10:30 or so. 

They had gotten the house, though. She could tell her parents any time now. They could even move out next weekend if they wanted, or even tonight!

Melissa hurried home with Jack. Her heart was racing with fear. Would her parents be home by now? She was sure that they were!

"We got th' 'ouse, ye're s'pposed t' be 'appy," Jack commented. "Ya look quite th' opposite, if I may say so."

"Oh, shut up!" she snapped. "My parents are going to see me pulling up with a supposed co-worker that's thirteen years older than me, the same one that spent the night while in New York to make sure I didn't get scared of the storms!"

Melissa remembered the lie that she told her parents back in June. As far as they were concerned, he only lived with them a week or two – and hadn't gotten their golden child pregnant.

"Why can't ya drop me off at Katie 'n' William's?" he suggested.

The thought hadn't occurred to Melissa. She remembered when her and Jack were in the shop, Kate and Will were talking about getting together with Bootstrap tonight. She assumed those plans were still set, even though she hadn't spoken to her for a day.

"They're busy with Bootstrap, remember?" Melissa reminded. "They're at his house for dinner. 6:00, to be exact."

Jack, apparently, saw no problem in this, though.

"Say I'm a friend," he said simply.

"Oh, because that will go over well with my parents," she said sarcastically. "They're going to know that something is up with us."

There was a silence for a few moments between them. Neither spoke. Melissa could only begin to think of how to tell her parents this news. She had just dug a deep hole for two months, and now she was expected to climb out of it.

"Ye're goin' t' tell them?" he asked nervously.

"I don't have a choice. They deserve to know."

Silence.

"Oh..." Jack said. "Drop me off at William's, love."

"No! If I face them and tell them this, so do you!"

"But I don't want t'," he complained.

She looked at him. How could he act this selfish?

"And you think your situation's so much worse than mine."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Melissa pulled into the driveway of her house. Her heart was beating so loud, she thought that Jack could hear it. The last time she had felt this nervous was when she was waiting for the results of the pregnancy test. 

She turned the car off and sat in the drivers seat silently for a few moments. Fear pumped through her body. She didn't know how her parents would react to having their good little daughter pregnant by a man thirteen years older than her. They were very conservative, and Christians, no less!

"Ya know, we can just come back later," Jack suggested. "Go say 'ello t' William 'n' Katie –"

"No," she interrupted. "I'm doing this."

Although, despite what she said, her actions said otherwise. She remained in the passenger seat, looking up at the window into the living room. She was sure her parents were in there, wondering when she was going to get home.

"I'm scared, Jack," she said softly.

She had said those words to him when she told him that she was pregnant. Only two weeks ago she had found out. She felt the same way then as she did now.

There was no response from Jack, though. He could pillage towns and sack Nassau without firing a single shot and captain a ship of pirates, but Melissa knew he could not comfort a woman.

With the exception of when he found out that she was pregnant, that is. She guessed that was mostly for his sake, like he was trying to comfort himself.

"Ya know...they'll prob'ly be glarin' at me, t' tell ya th' truth, not _you_."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she said, playing with a pink flip-flop key chain. "I want them to be there for me during this. I want them to be happy that they're going to have a grandchild, and happy for us that, together, we're going to have the most adorable child the world's ever seen."

Melissa felt tears cloud her eyes. She couldn't help it. Melissa was scared! She didn't know how her parents were going to take this! Her biggest fear was that they would force her out and not speak to her again. Most parents would not act like that, though.

Her parents were not "most parents".

If they did kick her out, she and Jack wouldn't be struggling to look for a place to stay, at least. They had the home that they were renting. If the worst _did_ happen, they would at least have a roof over their heads.

"Are you scared?" she asked quietly.

"They were quite cordial t' me last time."

He wasn't afraid. She shouldn't be, either.

"I doubt they'll return the hospitality this time," she said.

Melissa laced her fingers through his. She hadn't ever been this scared to tell her parents something. Melissa needed Jack's support now more than ever. She needed his reassurance that he wouldn't leave her just to save his own skin.

"Promise you'll stand by me," she said, much like she had said the evening he found out, leaning against the tub in the bathroom.

"I do believe I made ya that promise. I'm a man of my word, Mel."

She smiled, in spite of everything. "That's good to hear."

Melissa still made no effort to move. The butterflies in her stomach were getting worse. For someone who was pregnant, she wasn't making much of an effort to calm herself. In the past two weeks, she had found out that she was carrying Jack's child, told Jack that he was going to be a father, narrowly avoided a possible death on a still-talked-about bridge collapse, gotten in a fight with her closest friend about "lack of communication", and, now, she was about to tell her parents that she was pregnant.

She needed to relax. If she kept it up, she knew that it would have some sort of effect on the baby.

Her father came out of the house and into the driveway, probably to see what was taking her so long. He had probably seen her drive up to the house. Although, instead of a friendly wave, there was a frown on his face.

Melissa took a deep breath to calm herself. This was it.

She got out of the car with Jack. "Hi, Daddy," she said, trying to mask her nervousness with a smile.

"Melissa, who's this?" her father asked. "This is the same man that was with you during the storm...right?"

"Right ye are!" Jack said proudly.

She prayed that Jack wouldn't ruin this. Neither of them could afford it if he said something stupid!

"What's he doing here?" her father asked.

Melissa wanted to blurt out that she was pregnant right then and there on the driveway. She wanted both parents to find out at the same time, though.

"Can we go inside and talk?" she asked.

Her father nodded, then started walking towards the front door. They went inside and up to the living room. She was sure that everyone in the house could hear her heartbeat.

"Melissa!" her mother greeted. Her light blue eyes, the ones that she had inherited, trailed to Jack. "And you brought a guest."

"This is Jack, Mom," she said. "Jack, this is my mother."

"You seem familiar, Jack," her mother mused. "Have we met before?"

"We have," Jack confirmed.

Melissa and Jack sat down on the same couch that her parents found them sleeping on back in June. Her parents sat on the loveseat across from them. The space between her and her parents seemed so far, yet it seemed like they were right in front of her.

"You had something to say?" her father prompted. "Perhaps why you were late getting here?"

This was not going to be easy to say. Melissa hadn't imagined how difficult this really would be to do.

"I was out," she began. "With Jack. We were out looking at houses."

_Not good! Not good! _she screamed at herself. 

"Houses?" her father asked. "Are you two going to be roommates? Melissa, you know that you're more than welcome to have free room and board here while you're attending college."

Melissa didn't think she would probably be as welcome when she told them the news.

"I guess you could say we're going to be roommates," she said. "Jack and I felt that it would be best if we got a place of our own, though."

Her mother frowned in confusion. Melissa was not prepared to tell her dirty laundry to her parents.

"Shortly after we met, we realized that we wanted to be more than friends. And Friday, the day of the storm, he came to keep me company. Then the power went out and the storm came...I would have been terrified if he wasn't here."

There. That part was easy. She confessed that they were more than friends when their parents first met him. Her parents expressions remained neutral, even though she was sure it was difficult.

"Why are you moving out, though?" her mother asked.

Here it was. The moment that she had nervously anticipated for two weeks. She didn't want to say it!

"I'm pregnant," she finally said.

Her mother's face turned to stone, her blue eyes fixed on her. Her father, however, wasn't as quiet with his words.

"You're _what_?" he said.

"I'm pregnant, Daddy."

A stunned silence filled the air. This wasn't the reaction that she was expecting, but she pleaded silently for either of them to say something.

"And Jack..." her mother finally said. "He's he father?"

"O' course. Isn't this great? One big happy family!"

Was he that unaware that her parents were shell-shocked that she was pregnant?

"Er..." he continued, taking note of their expressions. "Per'aps not yet."

There was another silence. She wondered if her parents were now mute because of the news. Melissa could only imagine the shock that they were facing. She had always said that she was going to wait until she was married.

"How far along?" her mother asked.

"Eight weeks."

Her father looked like he was calculating when exactly she probably got pregnant. After a few moments, he closed his eyes and put his head in his hands.

"Oh, Melissa...what have you done?" he asked.

He said this like it was terrible news! And, true, she had felt that way, too, when she found out. But this was much better of a reaction than she expected.

"I'm keeping it," she said. "Jack and I are going to raise it."

No response. Frustrated, Melissa went downstairs, leaving Jack behind.

"Oi!" he called after her, getting up. "Wait for me, love!"


	36. Babies and Fathers

Chapter Thirty-Six

Babies and Fathers

Must read book: Night by Elie Wiesel. It's amazing and so hard to put down.

* * *

At 6:10, Kate and Will got out of the elevator to the twelfth floor at Bootstrap's apartment complex to find apartment number 1214. After finding it, they knocked on his door and waited.

She had dressed in a ivory kimono-sleeved blouse and dark-wash jeans, while Will had chosen a clean red shirt and jeans. Kate thought that he looked very nice – then again, she thought that he always did.

She was glad that she had chosen half-length sleeves and jeans. It felt she was in a freezer in the lobby and hallway!

"How do you think their house search went?" Kate asked Will, thinking about Jack and Melissa.

"I hope they found something," Will replied.

He could barely finish that sentence before Kate's phone started ringing. She couldn't answer it now! Kate was about to talk with Will's father! She pulled it out and was about to turn it off, but saw that it was Melissa calling.

Worry started to rise in Kate. Something had to be wrong, Melissa knew that she was visiting with Will's father tonight.

"Hang on," she said to Will. Kate flipped open her phone. "Hello?"

She heard a sniffle on the other end. "Kate?"

_Oh, God _she thought. _Not now!_

Kate couldn't hang up on a friend who sounded like she was on the verge of tears, even if she was about to talk to her future father-in-law for the first real time.

"Melissa? Is something wrong?" she asked.

Then came the fountain of tears. She could hear it through the phone. Kate could practically see her cheeks and nose getting red.

Why was she crying? Did she get in a fight with Jack? She hoped not – she really did not feel like yelling at him tonight.

While she walked down the hall to the elevators, she could hear a silence. For a moment, she thought her call had dropped, then heard Jack's voice.

"Mel just told th' parents," he said.

_That's _why she was crying! Had her parents kicked her out? Had they yelled?

"Oh, God," Kate said. "When did she tell?"

"Literally – _just_ now. She left fer downstairs after tellin' 'em 'n' called ya, then she started cryin' t' ya."

Kate sighed. This was the worst day for her to be out of town. Had she picked a different day, she'd go in her car and go to Melissa's house to talk to her.

"How did they take it?" she asked.

"Let's see...they're still 'live 'n' breathin' – quite th' opposite from what dear Melissa 'ad in mind."

"Details would be helpful," she said, taking a seat on a plush, maroon chair near the elevators. "And quickly."

"Ah, meetin' th' parent. 'Meet the Parents' – Wonderful movie. Though I doubt that yer's will be as 'ellish as an experience. Now, 'Meet the Fockers' – I'm sure that was dear William's experience with yer father –"

If she knew anything about Jack, this was his way of dancing around the subject. Something had obviously gone wrong – not that she would expect anything else with the Leweses.

"Jack," she said sternly. "What. Happened?"

"Uh...I think they messed their pants a li'l."

Were the situation not so serious, Kate would have found that funny. She could only imagine the look of shock on her parents faces. She expected for there to be a fight going on right now, not Melissa crying.

"What did they say?" she asked.

"Nothin'. Father Lewes is still in shock, 'n' Mother Lewes can't believe th' golden child is with child."

Before Kate even knew what she was saying, it came out.

"If you need a place to stay, you can come to my house."

She knew that she only said that because of Melissa. Kate did not want Jack in her house! She didn't like him; maybe it was because of what happened at the cabin, or maybe it was that he showed interest in her, even when he had a pregnant girlfriend to take care of.

Lately, it was the second one.

"What a generous offer t' 'ave me sleep in yer bed, darlin', and I would love t' take ye up on that, but we –"

Yes. Definitely the second one.

"Tell Melissa I'll call her back when I get home. I have to go."

Kate hung up and put her phone back in her purse. She hoped that Melissa was doing alright. Jack wasn't the most sympathetic of people.

How could they even be a couple? They were so different! She was worried how things would be between Jack and Melissa when they got a house. Kate sensed storms on the horizon.

Sighing, she stood back up and went to apartment 1214.

* * *

"'Ere, love," Jack said, handing Melissa's cell phone to her. Melissa was lying down on the bed. She had gradually stopped crying when Jack was talking to Kate. 

Why couldn't her parents have given a better reaction? They could have hugged her or said that they would get through this together. But, _no_, her parents had to act like she had killed a person! They were unresponsive and stoned-faced (at least her mother was).

Melissa wondered if she could do this. Would she be strong enough to have a family at eighteen? At least she would have Jack. Witty, irresponsible Jack would be a father in seven months.

What had she done? Neither of them were ready to be parents! If this were a few years in the future, she knew she'd feel so much different. They would be more ready.

She tried to imagine going into labor in March. Melissa imagined her water breaking at work, the contractions while giving birth...it terrified her!

The only thing more terrifying was doing it alone, though.

* * *

"This is where we're going to get married," Kate said, showing Will's father a picture of the Trump hotel that they were to be married at. "We're going to be married on the beach at 6:30 in the evening, during the sunset. It's beautiful then, they say." 

Will loved seeing his fiancée and father getting together so well. He couldn't wait until they came back to Minnesota for the holidays. They had so many people to see! They would have to split Christmas somehow with his and Kate's family, and manage to see Jack and Melissa, too.

He wondered what exactly it was that Melissa called for. Will guessed that it wasn't any pressing matter, since Kate seemed fine. He would talk to her later about it.

"Oh, and we're leaving Wednesday, September 12," Kate added, pulling out a pair of plane tickets and handing it to his father. "You're on the same flight as Will and me. It leaves at 8:00 AM and lands in Miami at 12:25. We're managing to get a lot of our guests on that one. Jack is going to be on that one, too."

Will could only imagine the flight that his father, Jack, and Beckett would experience together. He didn't think that Kate put them near each other – would she?

"September 13 – Thursday – is going to be the rehearsal dinner in the evening. We have nothing planned the day before the wedding, Friday. And then there's Saturday, the day of the wedding."

The wedding. Just to hear those words come from Kate's lips made him grow more impatient for it. It seemed like it would never get here! Just thirty-three days where she would be walking down the aisle.

With a quick glance at the clock – 7:15 – he figured the ceremony would be almost over. They would share the kiss that sealed their marriage with a lift of her veil. They would exchange the two words that had been building between them since the day they met. They would dance to the song that, whenever they heard it, think of the other.

They would share the night that would change them forever.

"Sunday, you'll be going home," she continued. "I think the flight's scheduled for mid-morning, 10:00 or so. You'll have to look at your ticket."

His father quickly looked over his plane tickets. "This is very generous of you, Kate."

"It's my parents that are paying, not me," she replied.

That was a very generous thing for Mr. Sims to do. Will knew that he could be generous, but with him, he was tougher than nails with.

"When are you signing the marriage contract?" her father asked them.

Will had learned that the bride and groom signed the marriage contract now, not the groom and the father of the bride, like it had been when he was to marry Elizabeth. He knew that it was hard for Governor Swann for Will to marry his daughter off when he was nothing but a blacksmith. Will was grateful that the people signing the contract had changed – he didn't want to see the threatening look on Mr. Sims's face when he signed their marriage contract.

Although, he and Kate had signed a prenuptial agreement. Mr. Sims was Kate's lawyer, and Mrs. Sims was his. While Kate happily agreed to sign it, her father had given him a look that said, "I dare you to sign that. No, really. Sign it."

"Good job, pumpkin," her father had said to Kate, his eyes locked on Will. "Your turn, William. Now, if you divorce my daughter...all earnings that she makes are her's. Are you _sure _that you want to marry her?"

Will had become even more terrified of his future father-in-law then.

"We're signing it on Wednesday, the first day we get there," she said. "Florida law states that you have to sign it at least three days prior to the ceremony for it to take effect. We're going to the North Dade Justice Center. It's only ten minutes away from the hotel."

"We'll go there shortly after we arrive," Will chimed in.

Will wondered when they were going home. He enjoyed visiting his father, but they had work tomorrow. By the time they arrived home, it'd be 8:15. He supposed they could stay a while longer.

"What are your plans after the wedding?" his father asked them.

"We're moving to New York," he said. "We bought a house two weekends ago. It's a two bedroom apartment in Queens. It's the perfect size for us – we fell in love with it the moment we saw it."

"You're welcome over any holiday," Kate said. "We could have Thanksgiving in New York – just the three of us."

That was very kind of Kate to offer. He knew that she would want to see her family – even if he didn't particularly want to see Mr. Sims.

"What about your family?" Will asked her. "You'll want to see them during Thanksgiving, surely?"

She smiled kindly. "We can always visit them at Christmas. Besides, I'm not sure you want to see my uncle and grandpa after one too many drinks while watching the football game."

Will was relieved that he wouldn't have to see Mr. Sims in November. Instead, he was given a three month delay until after the wedding to see him again.

"I'd love to," his father smiled. "Smart of you to buy a second bedroom for guests. Unless...you would possibly be preparing for Baby Turner by that time?"

He wanted to know if they were planning on having children so soon? Yes, Will would love to have that be a reality, but Kate's travel was the only thing standing in the way – and the fact that she wasn't sure if she could mentally be a parent quite yet. Both did want children, though.

Will couldn't help but think of Melissa, even if they hadn't talked much. Was she frightened? She was carrying Jack's child – he was almost certain that she was. Jack was in no condition to be a father, and she still had to go to college.

"No," Kate chuckled. "No kids yet. We're going to wait a while."

"No harm in that," his father said. "I will get a phone call when a Turner's on the way, right?"

Kate smiled. "You will."

* * *

Oh, about the groom and the father of the bride signing the marriage contract, that's true. That's how they ensured that the husband would inherit all things of the father once he had passed away. Funny how they did things back in the day.


	37. The Final Straw

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Final Straw

Sorry it's short, but next chapter is when Melissa finally moves out! So...it's kind of a filler chapter.

* * *

The days passed by, but they felt so much longer to Melissa. Each day felt like a week had gone by. Her parents hadn't spoken to her much since she had broken the news that she was pregnant – that was four days ago.

She couldn't help but feel like she had done something wrong. Melissa rarely fought with her parents, and now, they weren't speaking to her at all! She knew that she hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe that's what confused her the most – they had no reason to not be speaking to her! She was doing the right thing by keeping it and having the father involved in it.

Through the week, Melissa had packed everything that they would need for her and Jack's house, like their clothes and pictures, along with her jewelry and mementos. She had gotten disposable plates and cups at the store on her way home on Friday. And, as a result, she knew her parents were home before her.

Melissa turned off the car and remained sitting inside with Jack. She saw a rain start to come down. It was best that it started to rain now. They wouldn't have to leave the car to go inside. She didn't want to talk to her parents. Couldn't they just put everything behind them? They were about to have a grandchild in March!

"My incredibly intuitive sense o' th' female mind tells me that ye're troubled," Jack said.

He always was good with females. Jack knew her too well. Then again, she did let everything show, just like Jack said the night of the party when she said that she wasn't nervous about drinking for the first time. She _was_ nervous – and he knew.

"I'm going to talk to them," Melissa said.

"Ah!" Jack exclaimed. "Nerves. Nasty things, aren't they?"

"I want you to go downstairs and say nothing. Understand? I need to talk to them myself."

"No, I thought it'd be wonderful t' me t' shout t' yer parents while I'm downstairs in yer bedroom. Wonderful way t' 'ave a conversation."

"Just do what I say," she said.

"Moody, are we?"

"Shut up! I'll have you know that pregnant women have mood swings."

A nervous smile came on Jack's face. "Wonderful. So I have to put up with yer moodiness 'n' th' occasional slap or two?"

Melissa was growing short with his wit lately. She wasn't in the mood for it, not when she was about to talk to her parents.

"It'll be more than a slap and very soon if you don't shut up," she muttered, getting out of the car and meeting the cool August rain. It met her skin and sprinkled onto her hair as she quickly went inside. Jack came in shortly behind her. Melissa took off her black flats in the foyer, then turned around to face Jack.

"Go!" she mouthed. Jack then put his hands up and went downstairs. She took a deep breath in to calm herself, then went upstairs. She saw her mother was in the kitchen in pink sweat pants and a white shirt, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her father looked to be browning the hamburger on the stove. She wondered if they were talking about her before she came in. They were both quiet.

She suddenly wanted Jack by her side, even if he were to say something, it wouldn't help her. If would deter them of ever approving, probably.

"Please talk to me," she said to her parents. "I did nothing wrong!"

There was a brief silence before her father spoke first. "Melissa, we're not mad at you. We're in shock and a bit disappointed, but not angry at you."

Shock? It had been four days since she told them! And why were they disappointed in her? She was doing the right thing by keeping the baby!

"For eighteen years, I haven't disappointed you once," she said. "I always came home on time, I never got anything below a B, and you're disappointed in me for wanting to raise the child?"

"We're disappointed because you didn't speak to us about it," her mother said. "You lied to us, Melissa. You kept that man a secret from us and you got pregnant before you spoke to us about it –"

"I didn't have a choice to tell you about Jack!" Melissa said. "I knew that you wouldn't think about approving of him because he's not what you're used to. Heaven forbid you think outside of the box, Mom. And I didn't tell you that I was going to..."

_Give him my flower_, she thought delicately. 

"Because I want to live my own life," she finished.

Melissa felt a bit of adrenaline go through her. She wasn't used to being outspoken, and here she was, finally speaking her mind!

"Melissa, how do you expect to take care of a child yourself when you're still one?" her father asked.

That sentence infuriated her more than she thought it could. She was not a child! Melissa was an adult who could make her own decisions!

Never before had she wanted to slam the front door and drive away like she had at that moment. She was obviously not who they thought she was. Melissa could take care of her child – and she would!

"Don't talk to me like that," she said through gritted teeth. "I am an adult, and I have a right to make my own decisions."

"You're eighteen, you don't know what you want!" her father said.

Tears stung her eyes to hear them talk like this, but refused to let them out. She did know what she wanted! Melissa wanted their child to be born, to go through college, and be a vet in four years!

She couldn't take them anymore. Melissa was thankful that they found a good house already.

"Jack and I are moving in tomorrow," she said softly, looking at both of them. "Just remember that it wouldn't be fair to separate yourself from my child for something that I did."

With no response, Melissa went down the stairs to her room and sat on the bed next to Jack. This is the last night that she would be sleeping in this bed – in this room. After tonight, she was on her own with Jack.

Would her parents want to talk with their grandchild? Of course!

Right?

"'Ow'd it go?" he asked.

"Take a guess," she said softly. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Tomorrow is th' beginnin' o' th' proverbial new chapter fer ya, love," he said.

"It's about time," she said.

Melissa remembered the day of July 7 when she knew that she was starting a new chapter in life, with loving someone like she never had before. And now, on August 18, she was going to start yet again starting another chapter.


	38. Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave

Don't own the title of the chapter. It belongs to James Horner. I got it off the "Titanic" soundtrack.

Thank you so much! Three hundred reviews is amazing! Muffins for everyone!

* * *

Melissa woke up the next morning to see sun streaming in through the blinds. For eighteen years, she had woken up in this house. Four years of those were spent downstairs, waking up to her light pink walls and the morning sun.

That would end today. From now on, she would be waking up in a maroon room in a bigger bed, in a house of her own with Jack.

It was hard for her to believe that today she was moving. In a way, she didn't want to leave the only house she had ever known. There were too many memories here! She couldn't count how many sleepovers she had with Kate downstairs. There were too many failed attempts at a good dinner in her kitchen – the most famous was with the fried chicken on fire just days after she and Jack met.

This room held the most recent memories, though. She was talking to Kate on the phone the evening of May 31 (she remembered the day perfectly), deciding whether or not to wear the medallion that the woman in the shop claimed was cursed.

This is where she first met Jack – he was slumped by her desk. She had threatened to call the police and even made a run for the window in her short, red nightgown. Melissa remembered that her first words to him were a nervous "Who are you?" She had even thrown her phone at him, the old, light green phone with glittery star stickers that she bought when she was eleven. Melissa had hit him right in the nose – not on purpose, either – then had threatened to use CDs as numchucks.

She had stormed down here for nearly a week after she found out that he had cheated with Kate while they argued through the door. Melissa had pulled out the nightgown from her closet, remembering that this was what he first saw her in. She had also pulled out the medallion and looked at it. Melissa was angry at herself then for buying it – it had brought her nothing but trouble in her life.

She had first said that she loved him on this bed in what he had first seen her in – right before they had "given her flower" to him. He had also said that he loved her more than rum, but he hadn't said it since. Melissa couldn't help but think that he was being insincere. She knew that Jack couldn't love a woman, but yet she had given herself to him. Melissa had gotten too caught up in the moment – and him. She knew that he felt something for her. He wouldn't have done what he did with her otherwise.

Now, as a result of getting too "caught up in the moment" a few times, she was moving out of her house and could have lost her parents trust since she kept Jack and her virginity state (or lack thereof) a secret.

What if she hadn't bought that medallion? She never would have met Jack – some days, she felt that was for the better. Melissa wouldn't be having to move out of her house today and could stay at home during college. She would have her parents trust and wouldn't have to think about how to care for a baby while in college.

Things would have been far worse off if she didn't buy that, though. She met a man that she loved – even if they did fight and wouldn't let himself become vulnerable. And in seven month's time, she would be a mother!

Like Jack said yesterday, today was the beginning of a new chapter for her.

* * *

As Jack loaded the final boxes into the back of their car, Melissa said goodbye to her parents. She found it hard to believe that this was it. This wouldn't be her home anymore – it was wherever Jack and their baby were. 

This had happened so suddenly! They had talked about moving in together since the late June, but they started being proactive after she said that she was pregnant. The day was finally here – she was leaving the nest that she had fit oh-so comfortably in for eighteen years.

Saying goodbye would be the hardest thing for her. She still wasn't on good terms with her parents, yet she felt like she was going to start crying, now that she had to say goodbye.

"Bye, Mom," she whispered, hugging her mother. She felt her mother hug her tighter.

"It doesn't have to be like this," she said. "You can stay here!"

Tears were brought to her eyes. Despite what her mother said last night, she wanted her to stay at home! Would she feel this way one day about their child? Would she be begging their child to stay with them?

"I have to, Mom," she said. "Jack and I will visit. You're always welcome, too, you know that." She pulled away from her mother and hugged her father tightly.

"I don't want you to think I'm making a mistake," she said to him. She noticed that her throat hurt with each word she said to him. "Please don't think that I don't love you. I do, Daddy, I do. I'll understand what you felt all those years ago when the baby goes off to college."

"I know you're not making a mistake," her father said. "You're sticking to it, Mel. You're doing the right thing."

Those three words meant everything to her. Her father said that she was doing the right thing – something that, just five days ago, she wouldn't dream of him saying.

Even though she wasn't talking, her throat started to ache more and more.

"Thank you," she whispered, breaking away from him, and looked at both of them. "Thank you for everything that you've done for me."

Her mother smiled. "You'll learn how much that thank you means someday, Melissa."

Before the tears could escape her eyes, Melissa looked away. She could never imagine how bizarre of a feeling moving away from home was. No one was there to look out for you now. No one was there to do her laundry or cook dinner for her...

She didn't have to do this! Her mom even said that she could stay at home! She wouldn't mind staying at home.

No. She had wanted to move out to a house with just her and Jack for a month and a half! Besides, they had already signed the papers.

People waited for years to move out of their house, be it that they were already independent or couldn't stand their parents. Melissa was neither of those. Why was she already having second thoughts? Was eighteen too young to move out? Both her parents left for Yale University – to New Haven, Connecticut! – when they were her age. If they could move from the Midwest to the east coast, she could move ten minutes away.

"I know I will," she said, after gathering her voice again. "I really do have to go, though. Bye, Mom and Dad."

Turning around, Melissa took a deep breath and got in her car. She saw that Jack was pointing her camcorder that she got for Christmas last year at her. How had he snuck that in? Jack must have taken it when he was loading the boxes in the back.

Wonderful. Now she was going to be immortalized crying on the day that she left home. Just what she needed to look back on Saturday, August 18, 2007.

"Put it away," she said, embarrassed, backing out of the driveway.

"This day deserves t' be remembered, love," Jack said. "Each 'n' every..." he put the camera closer to her face, "moment."

"Get that away from me!" she laughed, going down the road.

Maybe moving away wouldn't be as hard as she thought it would be. Jack would be a good person to live with.

Even if they fought and he pushed her half the time.

* * *

Melissa pulled up to their – _their_ – house, free from Melissa's parents. Jack stepped out of the car and panned back so that the cream-colored townhouse filled the screen. Melissa had complained about him filming at the beginning, but had stopped – he wondered if it was because she didn't want to look back on this day filled with whining or because she had just given up and knew that he would record until he felt content with what he recorded today. 

She got out of the car, holding a gold-colored key in her hand, then went to the white door and put it in the lock, turned the key, then the knob. Melissa opened the door and let both of them in. He did a sweep around the room with the camcorder.

"Do you have to do that?" she asked. "We'll be living in this house for a while."

"Can 'n' will," he said, directing the camcorder to her. "Sit on th' couch."

"Why?" she asked. "We have boxes to unload."

"Boxes with clothes can wait a few minutes." He sat on the couch, the camcorder still on her. "Sit."

She sighed. "Fine." She sat on the other side of the black couch. "What is this, 'Oprah'?"

"No, this is 'The Jack Sparrow Show'!"

Melissa laughed and shook her head. "You're a dork."

"I'm a socially inept person? That's not very nice," he chided. "What is Melissa Lewes's true feelings for Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"I'm terribly sorry to break your heart, Jack, but those are my true feelings towards you," she said, trying to keep a straight face.

Jack learned something about Melissa. She should never go into acting. Melissa was both a horrible liar (that he knew beforehand) and couldn't keep a straight face for her life. What was unusual was that she wasn't a forward person. She wasn't one to speak her mind and was quieter. He had changed that, though. When they first met, she was quiet and shy – or it could have been the fact that he time traveled and landed in her bedroom. But once she got to know him, she had let her guard down. She was still the same person, all she had done was loosen up in the process.

"What is this water substance emitting from my eyes?" he said, pretending to wipe a tear away.

"I _am_ moving in with a dork," she said, stealing the camcorder from him and pointing it to him. "Jack Sparrow: Socially Inept Person."

"Ya make me sound like a new type of species," he said.

"It's because you practically _are_ a new type of species. They don't make people like you."

_Do ya mean that in a good or a bad way? _he questioned silently. 

"Th' love ye're exudin' is o'erwelming," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and scooted closer to him and put the camcorder so that she would get a shot of both of them. "I suppose I must feel something for this socially inept person if I'm moving in with him."

"No – ya wanted t' do this fer th' baby." Jack took the camcorder from her, stood up, and got a shot a full shot of her. Her stomach was still pretty flat. He wondered when she would start showing. He guessed that it would be soon.

"Not e'en a bump," he said. "Although, Mel _'as_ changed elsewhere."

Threw a red throw pillow at him. "Turn it off!"

And, at the risk of having another pillow thrown at him, off the camera went.


	39. Baby Drama

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Baby Drama

* * *

The first thing that Melissa saw the next morning were maroon walls streaked with sunshine. She noticed a larger bed and, instead of a window on the wall in front of her, a white closet door.

This was the first true morning that she and Jack woke up together. There was no reason to have their door closed in fear that she that one of her parents would see a man sleeping in her bed with her. It was just them now. Even the first time that they woke up together – the night of the power outage and severe storm back in early June – wasn't as special as waking up in a house that was their's.

The first thing that she felt, however, was nausea. So began her usual routine of morning sickness. She got out of bed and went in the bathroom.

Melissa was sick of morning sickness.

After her morning sickness had her way with her, the house was silent, except for their open window. She could hear a bird chirping by the window. Melissa had trees near her window when she lived with her parents, too. She had the basement, though, so the could hear them a bit better. Now she was on the second floor; they seemed to be a bit more distant.

She sat up and got out of bed and sat on the window seat and looked down at the baby birch tree near the driveway and put a hand on her stomach. Melissa could swear that her stomach had grown over the past few weeks since she found out that she was pregnant. She was nine weeks pregnant, shouldn't there be a _little_ bump, even? Melissa knew that it varied with each woman, though. Some couldn't button their jeans at week eight, while some weren't even showing until month four! She wanted a baby bump – but at the same time, it would be terrifying real that she was pregnant.

The chickadee continued to chirp. Melissa imagined showing their child the bird chirping in the tree when it was older. She thought of it smiling and clapping with delight when it chirped.

Melissa's nerves were still in her about having a family so young. It would be difficult to support with a cashier's paycheck and a mother still in college working when she could at the vet's office. She knew that they would somehow manage – they always had. If worse came to worse, she could take her mother up on her offer and move back in.

She couldn't, though! Melissa had already moved out; she didn't want to move back in with her parents – with Jack, no less! She knew that they'd manage.

What kind of a child would she be holding when she showed it the chickadee? Would it have Jack's thick, brown hair, or her thin, blonde hair? Or would it have thick, blonde hair? What about thin, brown hair?

And what about eyes? Would their child have it's father deep brown eyes, or would it have her light blue eyes? Would it have Jack's tan skin, or Melissa's lighter skin? She didn't want to wait seven months to find the answers!

Was the baby inside her a boy or a girl? She would like her firstborn to be a girl, even though she would love a boy all the same. Melissa could practically hear Jack telling her that it had better be a boy. But what if it was twins? Two boys, two girls? Or what about one boy and one girl? She couldn't handle twins! One baby would exhaust her, she would be getting no sleep if she had two at once!

She pictured a brown-haired boy named Jordan or Ryan pointing at the chickadee in the tree, smiling and clapping. Melissa could imagine a blonde girl named Amy or Audrey doing the same, though. Smiling, she kept her hand on her stomach and continued looking out the window.

The chickadee was still in the tree, chirping merrily, greeting the new morning.

* * *

_Jack could see Kate in front of him, thinking. She looked to be so much further away than just in front of him, in her kitchen. Was she thinking about yesterday at Fort Snelling, how they were so close to kissing? That scallywag of a child had to interrupt the one moment that he was going to kiss her! He had known her for such a short time, but yet he desired her greatly. _

Desire. Curious thing, wasn't it? You wanted it until it was your's. When you did have it, you didn't want it anymore. That had to have been one of the more truer things that Jack had ever heard, unfair as it was. He had desired Melissa, however short-lived that may have been. Now he was starting to desire Kate, the beautiful brunette sitting right across from him!

She still had that look in her eyes. Kate looked confused, almost like she was intently thinking about something. Perhaps she was thinking about yesterday?

"Ya okay there, love?" Jack asked her.

Kate seemed to come back to Earth finally. Her emerald green eyes became more alert.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm fine. Why do you call me 'love'?"

She had obviously wanted to change the topic to something – anything. Or did she wonder if he literally meant that he loved her?

Jack Sparrow could not love a woman. Was she that dim?

He was going to give her an answer with a question in exchange for answer to the question which she asked, that's what he was going to do!

"Why don't ya eat?" he asked.

"I asked you first," she said.

He started to cut up a blueberry pancake that she made for breakfast – ironically, the root of his question. "I'll tell ya why I call ya 'love' if ya tell me why ya don't eat."

"I asked you first, though," she whined.

This girl was a spoiled brat – one that reminded her of a certain Governor's daughter/pirate he had been acquainted with at one time or another.

"I'm curious 'bout why ya don't eat," he said.

Curious. He knew just that one word would be enough to make her quite and answer the question. That word must have taken up an entirely different meaning since her curiosity/desire for him surfaced.

"I'm curious as to why you call me love," she said.

It was obvious that they were going to be locked in this verbal battle for days if one of them didn't give him. And Elizabeth – Kate – was showing that she was quite comfortable and didn't intend to be the one to give in. Better just to get it over and done with, right? He'd get his answer, at least.

_"Fine. If ye're so bloody curious, I call e'ery girl 'love'. Out o' habit, I guess. If th' apple were a girl, I'd call it 'love'. Now, answer me, _love_, why don't ya eat?"_

_Truth, too. He rarely called a girl by their first name._

_"Oh, my God! I do eat! Just not breakfast."_

_Ah, irritation in Kate. What was that paradox? I hate that I love you? Why did he have a hunch that applied to her?_

_"Ya don't eat. Ye're skinny."_

_She was skinny, too. Same body type. They were the same height and probably the same measurement._

_Not to mention the same attitude._

_She laughed. "I am not."_

_She just didn't want to admit it, he knew that. But didn't girls like hearing that they were skinny? That was a compliment in today's world -- right?_

_He took a bite of his blueberry pancake. Much better of a cook than Melissa. He couldn't help but admit to himself that it'd be nice to live a life of her cooking._

Jack felt a patch of skin meet his arm, then some fabric – cotton? It was Melissa, he knew.

Ironic that he just had a dream about Kate, then.

He opened his eyes and saw that they were not in her bedroom anymore. They were in their house now, in their not-so-cramped bed. Just yesterday they were waking up in Melissa's room in a smaller bed. A day had changed that, though. Jack new that a day could change a lot of things, like Melissa getting pregnant.

Or Elizabeth turning into a damn good pirate.

He saw that Melissa was on her side, cuddling up to him. She smiled at him. "Morning. Want some pancakes?"

Pancakes. He just dreamt about Kate and pancakes!

Bloody metaphoric dreams.

"I'd love some pancakes," he replied.

* * *

After spending a few hours at Best Buy with her father shopping for laptops for college, Melissa came home to her and Jack's town home. She sighed and sat down on the couch next to Jack and put the yellow shopping bag next to her on the carpet. Melissa was tired after walking around all day – the baby also tired her out.

"'Ow's th' li'l Sparrow 'oldin' up?" Jack asked.

"You mean the little Lewes," she half-joked.

Jack, however, must have seen this is as a true correction, since he said, "I thought we were goin' t' name it Sparrow. After th' father."

Melissa had intended on using Sparrow as the last name for the child, but had felt that it would be better to have the last name be Lewes. They weren't married, after all. Didn't the child take the mother's last name to begin with?

"I was joking," she laughed. She was quite for a few moments, then added, "Sort of. I mean...we aren't married, we don't have the same last name. I'd like for it to have my last name."

This must have confused Jack – or at least caught him off-guard. He frowned. "That don't figure out right, love. Pearl Lewes – it don't sound right."

Pearl? He honestly expected for her to name the child that she would carry for nine months and endure morning sickness for _Pearl_?

"See, Pearl Sparrow, rolls off th' tounge a li'l better," he continued. "'N' I _am_ th' father – shouldn't I have a say?"

"And I'm the mother! I am not naming our child Pearl Sparrow. If we had to give it that name – which we _won't_, I assure you – it'd be Pearl Lewes. I am an unwed mother-to-be –"

"Then what would ya suggest we name it? Ryan Lewes? 'Ow 'bout Jordan Lewes? Or, the best name I e'er 'eard o': Audrey Lewes!"

"Yes, actually," she defended. "Jack, the only time I defend my point is when something is important to me, you know that. I _want_ the last name to be Lewes."

"And I want th' last name t' be Sparrow."

Melissa felt like screaming. Instead, she suppressed the scream that was rising inside her and said, "You're not listening to me! This means something to me, Jack. I want the last name to be Lewes, since Lord only knows how long we're going to be together. The last thing I want when we break up is our child's last name to be Sparrow. With the rate we're going, it doesn't seem like that idea's too farfetched."

There. She said it. Melissa made it crystal clear that she wanted the child to have her last name.

She'd be damned if this wasn't going to go her way.

"No – it's going t' be named Sparrow. It's my child just as much as it is yer's!"

"You don't have to carry it for nine months and then give labor!" Frustrated, she stood up. "I don't know why I even moved in with you. All we do is fight, and we're expected to raise a child? Most of the time I think that I'd be better off by myself."

"Well, then, if ya 'old that t' be true, then tell me it's o'er. Go 'head. Do it. That way ya can name our baby Audrey Lewes with pride, Mel."

Melissa remembered Jack telling her that they had to fight – it was, ironically, the only way that they stayed together. She couldn't imagine having things work out with someone that she fought so much with. It wouldn't even be a healthy environment for the baby!

Fine. She was going to do it. They were going to be over – for good.

"It's over," she said softly. She found it hard to believe that she was saying it. They always fought, but to her, it felt like this would be the last fight they would have – in the worst way.

"It's over!" she said, louder. "I can raise this baby by myself. I don't need your help, Jack!"

Melissa went up the stairs to her bedroom. Behind her, she heard Jack say, "Ya don't want t' be doin' that, love."

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard that. Melissa turned around to face him. All she said was, "No, I really think I do."

* * *

Jack knew that Melissa didn't mean it. She didn't mean that it was over. If she really had meant it, she wouldn't have had to be pushed to say it. When she wanted something, she was vocal about it, not reluctant.

He didn't know quite what to expect from Melissa anymore. One moment she could be happy that they were together, and the next she could act like she hated him.

They fought too much to be over. He'd give it a few days until she apologized. Jack knew he didn't mean it.

Did she?

Who knew? Maybe she really was serious about them being over.

No. He was sure that this was only a good old fight between them. He knew her habits. First she'd storm off somewhere, she wouldn't speak to him the rest of the day (sometimes she spoke to him – the important thing was it never lasted for more than a day), then they were good as gold by the next day, like the fight never happened.

He was surprised that through all the fighting they did, she wanted them to stay together. Was that for the baby, or did she truly love him? Since she was the one that broke up with him, she guessed it was for baby Sparrow.

Make that baby Lewes.


	40. Guilty

Chapter Forty

Guilty

* * *

Melissa woke up next morning to the same nausea she felt everyday. For the past three weeks, it had been her alarm clock. She was thankful that she had only to endure three more weeks of it, though.

With her morning sickness brought on the reminder of the fight that she had yesterday with Jack. This was exactly they were fighting over – the name. She hadn't spoken to him since the fight and had since said that their relationship was over. Melissa didn't want to repair what little they might be able to. If they did, it would be so the child would be able to keep in touch with his father.

She knew that Jack wasn't a bad person, he was just stubborn. Kate was stubborn, too – they had been friends for twelve years.

No! Melissa couldn't imagine spending one more day with that rogue sleeping in her bed! They fought too much – they would never be able to have a healthy relationship.

This was a mistake. All of this was! It started with buying that stupid medallion back in May, the day after she graduated high school, and putting it on, even though the woman who worked at the shop warned her not to.

Melissa knew she should have listened to her. But _no_ – Kate decided it'd be fun to put it on. She even encouraged her to! Melissa should have been stronger and said that she thought the woman was right.

Even if the shop owner sounded like her elevator didn't go all the way to the top floor.

Losing her virginity to Jack was a bigger mistake, though. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, she would have never had to move in with him and could have broken up with him so much earlier.

What if she never bought that medallion, though? She had thought about that each time that she and Jack fought, and that answer always seemed to be the same: her life would have been boring. True, a bit easier, but boring. He added the spice that she had been lacking all of her life. At times he pushed her, but for the better. She got to be the person she had always been afraid to be when she was around him.

Life was hard to imagine about him. She guessed it was because she had fallen for him too fast. They kissed the day after they met – she kissed him before she knew what she was doing! She even recited Shakespeare before kissing him! He probably didn't even have a clue what "Romeo and Juliet" was.

_"Saints do not move, though grant for prayer's sake"_, she had said. 

And she _didn't_ make the first move. He had loved calling her a saint, she remembered. In return, she had started to call him a pirate. However, he had stopped calling her so after the night of July 7.

Maybe she'd call him that today, just for old time's sake.

* * *

Jack was as free as his last name.

Finally! It was about time.

When Melissa initially told him that it was over, he was a little surprised, but he wasn't crying his eyes out like she most likely was upstairs last night. He was actually relieved. Jack didn't have to deal with her good-girl-ness anymore. He did feel guilty about leaving her to take care of the baby by herself, though. But he promised to be there for it – and he would. Perhaps they could live together and take care of the baby together, but still see other people. That appealed to him more than putting the burden of taking care of their baby on Melissa.

The first person he'd see? Kate.

Melissa had been quiet on the drive over to work. She was still most likely upset from last night. Now she got her wish – she could name it Audrey Lewes or Ryan Lewes to her little heart's content.

Just as long as he could get _his_ wish – a blueberry pancake.

* * *

Kate felt guilty. 

She had a wonderful fiancé. Will took her back when she had cheated. He said that he would wait to have children until she was ready, even when he couldn't wait to have them. He had never kept a secret from her.

And what had she done? She cheated on him. She kept him from having children that he couldn't wait to have. And, perhaps worst of all, she was keeping a secret from him. One that he deserved to know.

Yet Kate felt like she couldn't tell him this. How could she begin to explain that he had married Elizabeth when they were just twenty-six days from their wedding?

She had wanted to tell him for two months, but she didn't know how. She felt ashamed when she felt that she was doing it partly because of herself. Kate didn't want him to leave her – either because of the truth of what happened or her not telling him sooner.

It wasn't like she hadn't tried to. She had dropped hints, with the oriental-themed photo shoot with the robe and naming Baby Think It Over William Turner III. It was her way of helping him try to remember, since she was too nervous to tell the truth.

Unfortunately, he didn't remember. If he did, he didn't say anything. With each day that went by, she knew that it was going to be harder to tell him that he had married Elizabeth. Would he leave her because he felt like, now that he knew, he wouldn't feel the same about her? Or would he leave her because she hadn't been honest and only been selfish?

Bootstrap was the one that made her feel like she had to do this. She had a feeling he knew, and she didn't want this to come out after they were married. Will would either find it out on an ad for when "At World's End" came out on DVD or Bootstrap would eventually saying.

And really, who would want to find out that they had married someone by an advertisement when his wife (would she be able to call himself his wife, even?) had ample time to tell him?

She started to feel sick to her stomach with worry. How would Will take it? The worst that would happen is that, in a few days, she'd have to give him back the engagement ring.

Tears clouded her eyes as she leaned against the changing booth for her photo shoot and touched Will's medallion that she wore around her neck. She didn't want it to come down to that, but Will had a right to know.

She blinked the tears back. Kate refused to cry on a photo shoot. She hated crying, period. Kate was about to cry over something that might not even happen!

There was always the possibility that he would want to "take a break". She would move to New York by herself, and he would stay in Minnesota. They would call off their wedding, and she'd see him a year later and see where they stood from there.

No! She couldn't do that either. Why didn't she just tell him earlier? She could have told him while they were in couples counseling with Beckett. She had five chances to do so!

Kate hated herself sometimes. She regretted not telling him all those times that she could have. Well, she was going to tell him today. No more stalling! Right after driving lessons, she'd take him to the park and they could have a talk.

Oh, God! She started feeling sick all over again.

Wonderful. She was about to get sick _and_ cry at a photo shoot. What lovely luck she was having today.

* * *

Will noticed that Kate was quiet while they drove home. He was in the driver's seat today. Was she nervous that he was going to crash? She thought that he trusted her. Or perhaps it was something else. Did she have a bad day?

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Something is."

Did she and her father have another fight? Did she feel like she did poorly at work today?

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked.

"We need to talk about it," she said. "Go to the park."

_We _need to talk? Was it something he did? He couldn't remember anything that he had done. Did she want to postpone their wedding? It was obvious that it was important if he told her to go to the park. 

She was quiet the five minutes that it took to get to the park. Kate looked tense. Her hands were folded in her lap and she looked ahead.

She looked like Elizabeth. She had an oval face and not square, and darker hair and lighter eyes, but the way she looked when she was nervous was the same. He found it ironic that he found love in a woman that was so much like the girl he used to; the same one that he had ended their engagement with over a kiss.

He went to the parking lot of the park. Both got out and went on the paved walking path. He held her hand. It was clammy. Yes, she was definitely nervous.

"Do you remember when I kissed Jack?" she began after a few moments of silence.

She hadn't brought him here to end their engagement, had she? Was she going back to Jack? No!

Was she?

"Yes," he said. That image to him was so vivid, but yet it didn't seem like that was Kate that had kissed him. She didn't seem capable of that.

"Why did you take me back?"

She wanted to know why he took her back? What was going on?

"It's because I love you, Kate," he said. "I could see us having a family together, and I knew that you regretted that kiss."

This was starting to worry him. He braced himself for hearing the words: "I'm leaving you." He could feel them building. Will started thinking of ways to plead her to stay. He could say that he couldn't bear to lose her, that he knew he would never find a girl like her no matter how hard he looked.

"Why didn't you want take Elizabeth back?" she asked.

_Because I met you before I could exchange two words with her? _he thought. 

But that wouldn't be the answer she would want to hear. She would want to hear that no one compared to her, that he loved her more than Elizabeth. That was true.

But there seemed to be a bigger question that _he_ had to ask.

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

"You married her," she said quickly.

_You married her_? He had married Elizabeth? That didn't make sense. He was furious at her for kissing Jack! 

But why had he taken Kate back when she had nearly made love to Jack, but found it impossible to take Elizabeth back because of a simple kiss?

A million questions raced through his mind. How did she know? Why didn't he tell her sooner?

"Tell me," Will said calmly. "What all do you know?"

"I-I can't remember much. You must have set aside your differences for love. You got married in the middle of a battle. Captain Barbossa married you two," she said softly.

It was so hard to imagine marrying Elizabeth. He hadn't seen her for nearly three months. He remembered her dark blonde hair and her square face, but the face...he couldn't quite imagine the face. It was blank now. How could he forget someone that important to him?

They got married in the middle of a battle, with Barbossa as the marriage officiant? This must have been explained in that movie they made of him. He might have to see it to believe it.

"But you were stabbed," she continued. "And you were about to die, were it not for Jack. He stabbed the heart of Davy Jones for you."

Assuming Kate was telling the truth – what point would she have in lying? – if Jack hadn't stabbed the heart of Davy Jones for him, he would have been dead. But that meant that he became immortal. Was he still immortal now? If he was, he'd have to find the Fountain of Youth for Kate. She couldn't grow older without him!

"Am I immortal?" he asked.

"No," she said, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "But you were Captain of the Dutchman."

He had to crew the Dutchman? That meant Davy Jones had died and he had taken the spot at the Dutchman.

"Calypso – Tia Dalma – only made you Captain ten years if Elizabeth could remain loyal and wait for you."

He was separated ten years from her? Will was still trying to comprehend that he had married Elizabeth and was to marry Kate!

"You came back ten years later," she continued. "Turns out you had a little boy waiting for you, as well."

He and Elizabeth had a son? Was that perhaps why she had named Baby Think It Over Willy? Everything made so much sense now. The oriental-themed photo shoot (he knew they were to go to Singapore). Willy (the child that he never knew).

"Was she loyal?" he couldn't help but ask.

"That's open interpretation. I don't know."

The shock was starting to wear off. He felt betrayed that he didn't know this sooner. He looked over at Kate, but saw that she was looking out at the pond.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

That would be an interesting answer. Shock was leaving his body, and now betrayal took it's place. He started to feel more and more angry that she had kept such a secret from him. Will realized that Jack was right – she really was selfish. She always had been.

"Will, I had no choice," she said, meeting his eyes.

"You chose not to tell me."

"I couldn't. I didn't know how you would react."

She closed her eyes momentarily, almost as if she were saying, "Take me away from here", then turned to walk back to the car. He was not going to let her walk away like that! They were in the middle of possibly one of the most important talks they could have!

He grabbed her arm and looked her right in the eye. Her green eyes looked only ashamed. It was a wonder that she kept eye contact with him.

"Kate. We're to be wed in less than four weeks," he said. "How do you expect us to do so if you keep secrets from me?"

That may have been one of the hardest sentences that he ever had to say. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be married to someone who could betray him like this.

They were twenty-six days until their wedding, and he was telling her this only now?

She paused. "We can't."

* * *

They didn't speak the rest of the day. Kate went in her room and closed the door and lay on her bed, her cell phone in her hand. She wanted to call Melissa and start crying her eyes out, blubbering that she had done a horrible thing and there was a very good possibility that she wouldn't be marrying Will.

Were she someone else, she would have done it already. Kate hated crying and showing vulnerability. She let her guard down only when she was with someone she loved. In the end, that vulnerability hit the softest spot in her heart.

She looked at the engagement ring on her ring finger. That same day, she bought a white dress, which she ultimately was going to be proposed in. Coincidence? Sure. A sign? Not necessarily.

She took the ring off. Her finger felt bare without it. _She_ felt bare without it, like a vital part of her was missing. Kate now understood what an engagement ring meant. Eternal love that you had for someone never went away, hence the ring in a circle. A circle never ended. A diamond was precious. Love was precious, too. Perhaps, most significantly, one felt bare without the ring on, like the one you loved was no longer a part of you.

She didn't want Will to not be a part of her anymore. Somehow, she had a feeling that would be the case, though. She wasn't honest with him. He had every right to feel the way he did.

Did he still have feelings for Elizabeth? Did he want to go back to his time now more than ever? It wouldn't surprise her if he did. He deserved to go back and marry Elizabeth like he had and know their son and lead the life that he was supposed to before they met. But neither knew how. He would have been gone the first day if they knew how.

Kate touched her medallion again. That was more precious than any diamond that he could give her. That was his – her future (assuming the wedding was still on – she couldn't bear to talk to him now) father in law's even. It had been from Cortes himself.

Her cell phone started playing "You're Beautiful". Why had she set that as her ringtone? She answered it quickly just to hear it stop.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hi, Kate," Melissa said. "Just me."

"Oh," Kate said. She found it hard to not sound upset. How could she not, though? She had a fight – was it a fight or a talk? – that most likely ended their relationship for good. "What's up?"

"We broke up."

Had Melissa said that? It sounded like her voice. She had never liked those two together too much, but she didn't want them to break up! Melissa seemed to so happy with him! And they just moved in together on Saturday, too! But what shocked Kate the most was that Melissa said it so simply!

"Actually, _I_ broke up with _him_," Melissa continued. "We were fighting about names yesterday, and I just had enough."

They broke up because they were fighting about names? She knew that couples often had troubles, but they didn't even know the gender yet! It showed how unstable they really were as a couple.

The thing that surprised Kate was that Melissa didn't even sound upset. How long had she wanted to break up with him? At least one of them was happy that they had broken up with someone. Kate told herself that she and Will weren't done yet. They were still technically engaged. Neither had broken up with the other yet!

"It's actually not that bad, having our relationship over," she said. "I think we're going to live together still and he'll be there for the baby. He promised he would."

Jack wasn't always an honest person. Kate hoped that he would keep true to his word, though.

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Mel," Kate said. "I know that you loved him."

"We're going to be friendly still. We were rocky from the beginning. We kissed the day after we met when we knew nothing about each other."

_I'm not much better_, she thought. _I kissed Will days four days after we met and got engaged a month afterwards. Oh, and I wanted to sleep with Jack somewhere in there._

She started to feel guilty that she had to move to New York. Now Melissa would have to raise the child without her and without a boyfriend. She knew that she'd have to have a long talk with Jack before she left for New York. Kate would twist his arm to make him promise to look out for Melissa and the baby, if she had to!

"Do you regret buying the medallion?" Kate asked.

"That ten dollar medallion brought more feelings than a five dollar mood ring could ever show," Melissa smiled. "I don't regret it all, though."

If Kate asked Melissa three months ago, she knew the answer would have been "yes". Kate knew that Jack had changed Melissa. She finally seemed happy. Kate couldn't help but feel a smile playing at her lips at that thought.

"But _you_, Kate," Melissa continued, "if you ever break up with Will, I will slap you into next week. You found a guy that loves you so much. I see it when you look at him. He loves you a lot."

Kate touched the medallion around her neck subconsciously. She may have broken up this evening with him.

Her comment instilled the same thoughts into her head. Did Will have feelings for Elizabeth still? What if he broke up with her because he knew that he married her and wouldn't feel right marrying someone else? Kate felt like pouring everything out to Melissa, but Melissa was probably trying to get over her breakup. She hated being a burden.

_I hope he _does _love me a lot still_, she hoped silently. 

When she gave no response, Melissa asked, "Kate? You still there?"

"Oh," Kate said. "Yeah. Still here."

Melissa gasped. "Did you break up?"

So like Melissa to immediately jump to conclusion. Although, with what happened to them today, she may not be too far from the truth.

"We had a fight," she said carefully.

Melissa, however, must have picked up that it was a rather big fight from the way she said it.

"Please don't break up! You're, like, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston! You just can't!"

"They broke up, though," Kate pointed out.

"You're like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, then," Melissa said. "They've been in the public eye for ten years, and they're still strong. If they can do it, you can do it."

Melissa's words as the friend helped her little. Their relationship was in Will's hands. He had the choice to either keep it safe and let it drop to the ground and break into a million pieces.

She found it odd that a month and a half ago she didn't want to get married in September. Did that Kate really exist at one point? She had left so long ago. Now she couldn't wait to get married.

"I have to go, Mel," Kate said. She hung up the phone and put it next to her.

Melissa had broken up with Jack. She wondered how heartbroken she really was. She seemed defiant with her decision. Kate wasn't going to hold her back – she never knew they were right to each other. She still wanted Melissa to be happy, though. Kate could only hope that she was doing the right thing.

What was Will thinking right now?

* * *

Will wasn't sure where he stood with Kate right now. He was angry at her for not telling him right away about him and Elizabeth, but was glad that at least she did tell. She could have waited until they got married to tell him such, or, perhaps she could have kept that as a secret forever.

He would always remember Elizabeth. Will couldn't ever picture not thinking about her. She had saved his life nine years ago. The way they ended things was so bitter, even if Kate said they ended up getting married.

He loved Kate more than life itself. They had been through so much together, although this time, she may have gone too far. She could have told them at Beckett's appointments!

Will could feel a headache coming on. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes and tried to see Kate's point. She was nervous to tell him. Anyone would be if they had that large of news to share. Had she waited to tell him out of fear? And, he reminded himself, she could never have told him in the first place.

But Kate did have a habit of making selfish choices, like the evening at the cabin with Jack in June. Who knew if that selfish habit (not having an affair, necissarily) would continue when they got married? Would it just strain their marriage, and they would break just a few years later?

She was honest, though. He wasn't sure if many women in her situation would be. It had obviously hurt her to tell him everything, but she knew it had to be done.

He couldn't imagine parting ways, though. He would regret it for as long as he lived. This was the most special woman he had ever met. This was the girl who showed him a story with pictures the second day they met, exchanged their first kiss while dancing to "You're Beautiful", and flew to New York to buy a house with. This was the woman he was going to marry and work with. They had to make this work!

Was she mature enough to get married, though? She would be changing so much in these next few years, that marrying so young could easily be a mistake. He prayed that it wouldn't be, though. No – he knew it wouldn't be!

Will felt a migraine coming on. Why were his decisions involving Kate never simple?

* * *

Oh, by the way, Jack didn't literally mean that he wanted a blueberry pancake LOL. If you didn't understand it, reread chapter thirty-nine.


	41. One Talk

Chapter Forty-One

One Talk

Sorry for the delay. I've hardly gotten a chance to write this week. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Kate could feel the back of a hand softly caressing her cheek, trailing down her neck. She felt a kiss on her lips just a few moments after. Oh, God...what a wonderful kiss! She would give anything to have their lips linger on her for just a few moments longer.

She felt the hand go to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. In return, she put a hand on his cheek.

Kate pulled away to see that this was not Will, like she had expected. This was Jack. Surprisingly, though, she went back to kissing him. She didn't want to pull away, nor did she feel the reason to.

Kate felt his hands go up her torso. All that met her stomach was air, not the protection of a shirt. They broke away momentarily so that Jack could pull her shirt over her head. In return, she took his shirt off, revealing his taut upper half. It was clear that he had worked on a ship.

She felt a few light, yet tender kisses sprinkle onto her neck and collarbone. She pushed him away lightly and took his jeans off. He took her jeans off, as well.

Kate was now only wearing her bra and panties. It didn't occur to her that she was half-naked and she was standing in front of a half-naked man. Neither did it occur to her that she was about to be "deflowered". She didn't seem to notice anything, actually.

Jack tackled her onto the red-colored sheets and got on top of her. Kate started giggling – she didn't know she could feel this happy around a man! Will had always been sweet, but Jack had the adventurous side that she craved.

She pushed him onto his back and got on top of him. Kate kissed him hungrily while she felt her hands go up her back to unhook her bra. After he unhooked the bra, he stripped off her underwear.

Off went his underwear.

Kate didn't feel nervous. She felt completely comfortable with Captain Jack Sparrow. Why shouldn't she?

He got on top of her and felt him enter her. Kate wrapped her legs around her hips. She felt him kiss her and gently bite her lip.

"Jack," she breathed.

Kate's eyes flew open, her heart racing. She put a hand over her chest. She was sure that it would pop out if she didn't!

Oh, God. No! She could not have had a sex dream! And she most certainly did not have it about Jack!

She was room, alone (thank God), with her ivory chemise on. Kate took a deep breath to try and relax.

Kate knew that wasn't how she had – almost – had sex with him before. She was nervous and knew that she was doing the wrong thing. This was about as bad – she had a nightmare! She would have that image for days!

_It was only a dream_,she reassured herself. _Your clothes are on, you're alone, you're fine._

But, no, it wasn't fine. That dream stood for betrayal, just like what she had done yesterday at the park. She finally came forward and told him that he married Elizabeth. Even in the few hours of sleep that she had gotten, yesterday haunted her in her dreams.

She was a horrible person. Kate was a selfish, back-stabbing bitch that would do whatever she had to to get what she wanted.She didn't deserve to be with a man like Will. He deserved so much better – like Melissa. At least she would be honest. They'd be a good fit.

Kate knew that she and Will belonged together, though, despite everything that they had been through. If he didn't want to be with her, he would have broken up with her already.

Did he break up with her yesterday? He had said that if she keeps things from him, how could they expect to be married? She responded that they couldn't.

She didn't want to think about life without him. When she pictured ten years from now, she saw a small child of one in their apartment in Queens. She thought of rocking their baby to sleep at night in their nursery. It was almost unimaginable having children one day. She thought of a brown-haired baby with brown or green eyes. She pictured Jack and Melissa visiting with their little one a few days during the summer. By the time that she finally had children, though, Jack and Melissa's little one wouldn't be so little anymore. He or she would be ten years old.

Fifteen years from now, she imagined their child coming home from school with a drawing that he or she made, demanding that it be put on their refrigerator for all to see. She imagined Will putting the painting that they put so much care into on the refrigerator with great pride. Perhaps she'd be holding a small child of two, three, maybe even four?

But that future may not happen. Will wasn't speaking to her, and Kate felt more and more guilty for keeping such a secret for him. She longed to turn back time and tell him sooner than yesterday.

Was he angry at her? Was that why he wasn't speaking to her? Or, her worst fear, was he not over Elizabeth? She would much rather have him be angry at her than have him not be over Elizabeth. Kate prayed that she was wrong about the latter. She didn't need this. They were so close to their wedding!

She looked at the clock. It was 4:21 AM. She'd try and get some more sleep, although she doubted she would.

* * *

Jack noticed that Melissa hadn't spoken much last night. She had been by herself, trying to get her laptop up and running. Melissa had talked to someone – probably Kate – on the phone, too. He wondered what they were talking about. Was it how Melissa told him she was done with him? That was what girls did, right? They consoled one another by saying terrible things about the ex-lover and through a large consumption of food!

Melissa was quiet even the next day when they drove to work. She looked like she was gathering the courage to say something. Probably wanted to ask if they would get back together, seeing as she hadn't yet. It surprised him that she hadn't said that yet.

"Jack?" she asked.

Here it was. Well, terribly sorry to inform her, but he was content with seeing other people.

"Aye, love?" he asked.

"How are we going to do this? We've broken up, we want to see other people, but there's one problem. I'm still pregnant."

And the problem was...what?

"How are we goin' t' do what?" Jack asked.

"Are you going to move out?" she asked. "Are you going to stay in the rental home with me? Because if you're going to move out, I might go back home to my parents for a while until I sort things out."

Jack had promised that he would be there for Melissa and the baby. They could live together and take care of the baby and still see other people – although that would be awkward if one came over for a while. No other boys or girls over, that would be their new rule.

"I'll stay at th' 'ome with ya," he said.

This made her smile. It wasn't a sly or seductive just-you-wait smile – he was sure that Melissa wasn't capable that sort of smile. It was the only smile that ever appeared on her sweet face: a happy one.

Jack still wasn't used to seeing a regular smile on a girl's face. With all the wenches in Tortuga, he wasn't sure if he had seen one that just smiled.

He could almost hear Elizabeth saying that he was a good man.

* * *

Just like yesterday, Kate was quiet on the way to Fort Snelling. Her engagement ring was on her finger, but the medallion that she usually wore around her neck was missing. That was more of a sign of trouble than her taking her engagement ring off. He knew that medallion was dear to her. She had worn it so often – even when she went to Beckett's therapy sessions. It pained him to see that something more valuable to her was not worn.

She did not look happy today, he noticed as she pulled into the parking lot. Kate looked hurt and angry. He could perhaps understand why she would be hurt, since they weren't speaking, but he didn't understand why she appeared angry.

He did not want to keep going like this. They needed to speak at one point or another – either to say that the engagement was still on or was going to be cancelled. They didn't have much time left. He did not want to break off their engagement, but he couldn't trust her. Who knew what she could hide when they were married!

Will knew that it was rare to find a love where you could love someone so much. He didn't want to let Kate go – no, he _couldn't_. He was going to marry her on September 15!

"How long do we continue not talking?" he asked.

That was a good question – which he expected would give him a definitive answer. Either she would say that they would talk, or that they wouldn't talk. There was no in-between with this question.

"I don't know," he heard her say.

She didn't know? Kate was as undecided about their relationship as he was, then. Did she want to end their engagement because he wasn't talking to her? He was upset with her, but they would need to talk if they planned to get married.

"Kate, we must speak –"

"You have to go to work," she interrupted.

So she was just going to dismiss him like that. She must want to break off the engagement. Or was she upset with herself for telling him and seeing the end result of things? She had only herself to blame if she expected a different reaction from him.

Silently, he stepped out of the car to the sunny day that seemed to mock him.

* * *

When Melissa took her lunch break that day at a nearby pond, she noticed that it was a beautiful day out. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, and even the water seemed a bit more blue than usual. 

She sat down on the grass in the shade, her back against a tree. Melissa took off her gold colored flats and let her bare feet sink into the grass. She put a hand on her stomach.

Melissa tried to imagine a baby in there. It was about the size of a grape right now – could something that small really be a part of her already?

Being a single mother didn't frighten her yet. She still had Jack, who promised to be there for the baby. She had a feeling it would scare her more the closer she came to the due date. She could imagine herself in the delivery room, truly becoming sober from the reality that this was actually happening.

How long would it be until Jack found someone else? Would he start seeing Dani from work? What about herself? How long would it be until she found someone else? She wouldn't get back into dating until after the baby was born. Melissa would feel too strange seeing someone else while carrying Jack's child.

What about when their child grew older? Would her son or daughter be angry at her for dating someone else? She knew she would introduce only the serious ones – isn't that what all the experts said?

Melissa didn't think that she made the wrong decision by breaking up with Jack. She knew that they weren't meant for each other, and, no matter how hard they tried, things wouldn't work between them. They would always be friends, even when they lived separate lives.

* * *

For the two months that Jack worked at G. Will Liquors, he noticed one thing: not many people bought alcohol at 12:00 in the afternoon during the week. Those who did usually looked like they were working off a hangover, red eyes and all. They were typically of the male species and wore what they probably had the night before. 

This brunette coming up to him wasn't any of those things. He noted that she did not look like she was working off a hangover. She was of the female species. And she most certainly was not wearing what she was the night before. This brunette didn't seem to want to meet his eyes though. Shame, perhaps, that she was seeing someone else other than her betrothed?

"Hi," the brunette named Kate said. She met his eyes briefly then looked away quickly. He saw her cheeks turning red. Quite humorous, really, that she was getting flustered by Jack Sparrow. He cherished the moment of seeing Kate blush while talking to him. Lord knows when it would happen again.

"Typically, customers use this line," Jack explained. "They use it t' purchase things, such as alcohol. Go get somethin' – I won't card ya."

"I did not come here to buy alcohol, Captain Sparrow," she said.

Captain Sparrow. That was one of the only times he called her that. This called for either a time of a talk or bribery. He guessed it was the latter.

"I'll take you out for lunch if you'll agree to listen to me."

Why did he have a feeling that this was about Melissa?

"Did Mel tell ya?" he asked.

"She did."

Bugger.

"Sorry, love, but...repricing! With a role o' orange tape! Repricing alcohol with th' orange tape is my callin'."

Kate met his eyes, but did not look away this time. "What if I told you Will and I may be done?"

Suddenly, lunch sounded very good.

"Lunch break!" Jack announced to Dani. He then looked at Kate and grinned. "So...that lunch."

"I thought that might persuade you," she said.

They went out into Kate's car. She got out of the parking lot. He was alone with Kate – in a car, no less! God was playing in his favor today. Plus, the wench was having problem with the whelp – what a wonderful day!

"Will and I had a fight," she said. "I told him something that I should have a long time ago."

"'N' that somethin' is..." he prompted.

She was silent. He could only hope what it was. Did she still have feelings for him? Please let it be that! Oh, God, please!

"Will and Elizabeth went out to search for you at world's end. They broke off their engagement after Will saw you kiss her. Turns out they still had feelings for each other." She paused. "They got married."

Will got married to Elizabeth? He always thought they would, that was no shock. The fact that Kate was coming to him was the surprise. Isn't that why she had Melissa? Girls talked about things like this...right?

She wasn't coming to him because she had feelings for him, was she? Dear William and Kate were on the rocks, he and Melissa were done...oh, the perfect timing!

"I'm flattered that ya came t' me, darlin'," Jack said with a grin. "It's good t' get yer feelin's out...with someone ya may 'ave feelin's fer."

"I'm only doing this because I don't want to burden Melissa," she said. "She has the baby and her breakup to deal with. The last thing she needs is me."

"So I get to bear Katie's burden, eh?"

"No, you get a lesson in listening."

Jack got to listen to the object of his desire's personal problems with her betrothed, which could then ultimately end in some persuasion to leave said betrothed for the man that was doing the listening. Really, was she just trying to say that she wanted him?

They pulled up to a Quiznos shop. Both ordered their different subs, paid for them (Kate did the paying), and sat at a table and had their lunch.

"He's been distant," Kate said. "You don't think he still loves Elizabeth, do you?"

He looked at the engagement ring on her finger. Kate seemed so complete with that on, knowing that it was from The Whelp, a man that she loved. She didn't seem that way now. Kate just looked unhappy.

"Or do you think it was what I said? It could be shock. Maybe he's still trying to understand what I told him. Do you think that he's angry at me? Is that why he's not talking to me? I tried to make myself believe that, but I don't think it's working."

Seeing as Jack wasn't there at the time of the incident, he couldn't say much. He could say what he could to work in his favor, though.

Shock? Of course it could be that. There was a very good chance that he could be angry at her, since she kept a secret like that. But Will loved his Elizabeth, anyone with two eyes could see that. The man went gallivanting around the Caribbean for her, for rum's sake! There was a possibility that he could not be over her.

"If we're going to be married, it's going to be in twenty-five days. We may have to cancel it." She took a sip of water from her straw.

_Please cancel it_, he thought. _Please cancel it!_

"We may not, though," she continued. "We may take a break and see other people for a few months. We'd talk again during Christmastime and see where we stand from there."

"'N' you've actually told 'im that ya want t' 'take a break', as ya put it?" he asked. He realized that this was the first time he spoke up in this conversation.

"Of course not. We've barely spoke since yesterday." She played with her straw and swirled it around in her cup filled with water and ice and gazed into it, as if the answer lay in there. "I don't know what to do, Jack," she said softly. "I feel so guilty about what I did that I'm not sure if I could marry him."

Jack knew just the thing to persuade her.

"Love, tell me yer age," he said.

"Eighteen," she said.

"Then stop talkin' like a twenty-eight-year-ol'.Ya got out o' high school three months ago, ya don't know what ya want. These next years...ye'll change so much. What ya want now'll be different than what ye'll want four years from now. 'Ow do ya know that this isn't the same mistake with dear William?"

Kate gazed away from her cup and looked out the window. Her lips drew into a thin line. She seemed to really be thinking about what he said.

He was not going to pounce on her right away like a cat on a mouse. He planned to wait until her and Will were officially done – or, on their "break" even – to do that. Kate wasn't stupid; she'd figure it out, otherwise.

"How are you and Melissa doing?" she asked, trying to change the subject. So she _didn't_ know what to do. Or perhaps she did know what to do, but didn't wish to speak about it.

"We're fine," he said.

"Is Melissa doing alright?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, love, thanks for asking."

"You were the one who acted like a jackass, Jack. Why should I ask how you're doing?"

"Because you love me, love," he grinned.

"Don't be absurd." She looked him in the eye. "How's she doing?"

"She seems very confident in 'er decision."

"She does," she agreed. "Are you being an honorable man and promising to take care of the baby?"

He could imagine Kate making threats if he didn't say yes. Not that he wouldn't – he promised that he would.

"Cross my 'eart, 'ope t' die," he swore.

"I'm glad to see we've come to an understanding. I expect you to take care of her when I go to New York, Jack."

Kate looked pretty threatening at that moment. He knew that she would hurt him one way or another if he didn't take care of the baby.

"Would I do anything else, darlin'?"

She fell quiet again and swirled her straw in her cup. Kate seemed to be debating more and more about her decision. He could only hope that the next time he saw her, she would be ringless and crying, hugging him for comfort.

They finished their lunch mostly in silence, with the occasional talking of one thing or another. She asked how work was going for him. He asked if she ate breakfast today.

They went back to the liquor store just in time. He got out of Kate's car. Jack was upset to see that their lunch was over, but he did get quality Kate time. That was a bigger plus than he imagined.

"Thank you," he heard her say.

He turned around to see her on the sidewalk leading up to the store. When had she gotten out of her car?

"You've really helped me today."

Before he knew it, she was hugging him. Kate was actually hugging him! What kind of an alternate universe was this? Didn't she usually hate him? Today she had gone to him for comfort and advice – and now a hug!

Jack had rarely hugged a woman. He wasn't sure if he ever got a thank-you hug. Awkwardly, he patted her back.

"You're a good man," she whispered into his ear.

And, just as an extra thank-you, she kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

"In two weeks I can find out if it's a boy or a girl," Melissa said, while eating a green apple in their kitchen.

Jack hated seeing those green apples everyday. They reminded him of mutinous Barbossa. They reminded him of what he'd done, how he was now not free to go with Kate to New York.

He hated those apples.

"I'll order the gender testing kit next week and I'll take it the week of September 2. Won't it be exciting to see what we're having?"

What if Kate was the one with his child? Would they have been so quick to part? Would he feel differently about fatherhood and commitment?

"Jack?" she asked.

"Oh," he said. "Positively captivating."

"I think it will be."

Either she didn't pick up on the sarcasm, or she just didn't care anymore.

"We can start on a nursery then. I know, I know, you want a boy. Just as long as it's healthy is all that matters for me. I think it's too hard to think about, being a parent in a few months. My due date's on Easter. Do you think the baby will come when Kate and Will are here?"

Melissa was either uninformed about their tiff, or she thought they'd get back together.

"Sure," he said. "Why not."


	42. Back

Chapter Forty-Two

Back

The first part of the chapter where Mel is thinking about the birth and whatnot was inspired by my choir teacher. We were having a talk about it the other day in class...LOL.

I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I liked writing it!

* * *

Melissa saw the rain coming down outside. The rain gently pitter-pattered against the window by the door.

She picked a pen up and tapped it against the white desk. Melissa was so bored – the rain wasn't helping any, either. Rain always put her to sleep.

Her child became the center of her attention again. Would rain put the baby to sleep? She knew that it would do the opposite if there was thunder. She'd have to stay up even more than she already would be.

Melissa knew that she'd get very little sleep while the child was young. That was hard for any mother, but she had a feeling that being a college student wouldn't help. She would be needing coffee more than ever then.

She tried to think of taking parenting Lamaze classes with Jack and watching a birthing video. He wouldn't be able to watch one for all the rum in the world! She could practically hear him saying "_That's_ where th' baby comes out?" or "Ew!"

A small smile came onto her lips. She knew Jack's reaction would be priceless.

Were _she_ the one transported to a different time period, the experience would be different. She could imagine Jack sitting with Gibbs and his crew, talking about this, a la "Knocked Up".

If she gave birth in the eighteenth century, she was sure that she would never want to have another child again. They didn't have anesthesia like they did now. She was going to be drugged at the hospital – she was _not_ going to go through birth without it!

Labor was what scared her the most, though. It was going to hurt! She'd would be screaming from pain or looking like she was in pain, like how Tori Spelling had looked while being wheeled into the hospital when she was giving birth.

Melissa didn't want to go through labor with just Jack there. He'd be a horrible coach, no matter what Lamaze classes told him to do! He'd probably be trying to make small talk with her while she was dilated at ten centimeters!

Nineteen years from now, what would her child be doing? Would he or she be going off to college? Would they going into the working world right away?

She could wait to see her child grow up. Melissa imagined him or her coming home from it's first day of school, a big smile and a small backpack on her back.

Would she get teary-eyed as they went on the bus for the first time? Would she pack a lunch everyday and put a note inside for them to read?

Melissa knew she was nervous now (especially for the birth), but a child would change everything – for the better.

* * *

The cool rain met Kate's body as the stepped out of her car which she parked on the driveway. The drops came down heavily. 

Will had gotten out of the car and was now walking inside. She stayed behind and watched him walk away.

That's what they were doing: they were drifting apart. She was losing him. They weren't going to be engaged. How could they be? She was sure that he felt something for Elizabeth. It was her fault that she kept this secret from him.

There was so many reasons she wanted to break up with him. She was too young; he probably felt something for Elizabeth still; she kept things that she couldn't from people that she loved; Kate felt guilty for seeing him this upset.

He would be so much happier on his own, she knew. He could try and find a way to get back to Elizabeth, and he could relive their marriage and life before he and Kate met. Life could return to what it was – and perhaps what it should be. They could both go on with how life intended them to. He could always quit the photography job in New York and stay in Minnesota.

"Will," she called walking to him.

She felt her fingers pull the engagement ring off her finger. Kate seemed naked without it on. The ring had meant so much to her. It brought so much joy when she saw it for the first time in Duluth, and now, so much anguish.

Melissa was right. That ten dollar medallion they bought brought more emotions than a five dollar mood ring could ever show.

Will turned around. He was wet from the rain. His curly hair was flattened, and his shirt started to cling to his body.

"You're not over her," she said.

It pained her to say that. She didn't want to be saying those words; she wanted Will all to herself.

"Get your priorities straight." She put the engagement ring in the palm of his hand and closed it shut. "Talk to me when you do."

Kate felt a lump in her throat. Her throat started aching more and more. She didn't want to cry in front of him. What difference would it make? They wouldn't see each other again.

She turned around and walked for the car. Kate wasn't sure where she was going. Maybe she could go to Mr. and Mrs. Lewes's house and ask for the address of Jack and Melissa's house. She would sleep on the couch for the night there, even though this was her house. Will had nowhere to go – she wasn't that cruel.

It was over. Kate was single. She had planned a wedding and had just broken up with her fiancé that she had met only two and a half months ago. Maybe her father was right. It was stupid of her to make such a big decision this young in life.

She felt like she was making the wrong decision by breaking up with him, though. Kate loved him still, but he had stronger feelings for someone else. She had no choice but to let him go. There was betrayal on her part and a hard truth from his.

She felt herself being spun around and being kissed passionately on the lips. A normal instinct for one who just broke up would be to shove them away, but Kate did otherwise. She returned the kiss with equal passion. Kate wrapped her legs around him and put her hands to his face, resting them on his cheeks. He supported her, his hands on her back.

Had she made the wrong decisions by breaking up with him? Did he love her? Did she still love him? She wasn't sure of any of those questions.

"Say that again," he dared, an edge in his voice rising. "Tell me that Elizabeth is the one I love and I don't have my priorities straight.."

When she was in his arms, looking into his deep brown eyes, she couldn't. Kate knew that she was wrong. He didn't love Elizabeth anymore, and he did have his priorities straight. She was first, just like she always had been. He hadn't talked to her not because he still had feelings for her, but because of the fact that she kept the secret from him!

"I can't," she said.

Were they on now? He had just kissed her and said that Elizabeth wasn't the one he loved. Will did still love her, then!

"Kate, how could you think that I love Elizabeth more than you? I won't ever see her again; I proposed to you, even! I wasn't speaking with you because you kept a secret like that from me."

She felt horrible all over again that she had done that. Kate wanted to go back in time and tell him so much sooner.

"I wanted to tell you, Will," she said.

The rain fell heavily against both of them. She was getting cold. Was he?

Thoughts of their engagement being back on came to her. She knew that she didn't want to break up with him – she realized that she did it for the wrong reasons. Kate thought that he still loved Elizabeth, which she didn't.

"I was so scared," she whispered. "My worst fear came true."

"I would never have ended our engagement, Kate," he said softly, looking into her eyes.

"But you said that we couldn't get married if I kept secrets from you –"

"I'm wise enough to know that this will be the last secret either of us keep from the other."

They were going to get back together! He was going to take her back – again!

He set her down back on the driveway and got down on one knee, taking her left hand and the engagement ring that she had given him just one minute ago. Will was proposing to her all over again – which proposal was more romantic, she wasn't sure.

"Marriage will not to be an easy thing. We'll have our good days where we feel as life before we met was just meaningless years. We'll have our bad days where I'll want to go left and you'll want to go right. I want to experience every day of the rest of my life with you. I want to know what it's like to see you for the first time after you've been in Paris for two weeks and hold you and kiss you in front of everyone at the airport. I want them to know how much I love you. Kate...will you marry me September 15?"

What could she say after Will's heartfelt, passionate proposal? One word was nothing. She knew to him, though, that one word would mean the world.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, I'll marry you."

He slid the ring back on her finger. She felt complete again. It was almost as if these past two days had never happened. That was the beauty of their relationship. They could forgive each other so fast that it was as if they never argued. Maybe Melissa was right. Maybe they would make it.

Talking with Jack had helped more than she thought it could. He had convinced her that it was wrong of her to stay with him. If they hadn't continued talking, they might have had to postpone their wedding. Since she had taken the biggest step and broken up with him, he was forced to say what he felt sooner than if she had kept quiet.

Maybe Jack was smarter than she thought, if that was indeed his tactic.

As Will stood up, she could see that he was just as drenched as her. He embraced her all the same and kissed her. They kissed until she couldn't feel her lips.

There was no doubt in her mind now: she knew that she was meant to marry Will.

* * *

Melissa went downstairs that evening, greeted to the scent of spices. She was no expert, but she was sure that was oregano. With the way her eyes were starting to water lightly, she was sure that it was onions, too. 

Was Jack making dinner? He didn't know how to cook, though!

The sight of him putting spaghetti noodles and red sauce on two plates said otherwise. Her brown cookbook was on the counter, flipped open to the pasta section.

"It smells good for a first time cook," she said.

He looked up from putting the sauce on top of the noodles and grinned. "Wait 'til ya taste it."

Why had he made dinner? Jack was not the type who made dinner, much less for a woman. She guessed that he was doing it as a gesture, since she was pregnant. It was thoughtful of him, she had to admit.

"Sit," he said, waving her away with his spare hand. She smiled and rolled her eyes and took a seat at the table. There were two beige placemats out, along with silverware and a napkin. He had done all of this while she was upstairs resting and checking her e-mail? She hadn't even thought about dinner.

He put the pot into the sink and carried two plates to the table. Jack placed one in front of her, and put the other on the different placemat and took a seat.

She picked up a fork and started twirling her pasta. Melissa couldn't remember the last time they actually had a decent home cooked meal. Had they ever? The burnt pizza on the first night didn't count, and the others didn't either. Especially not the chicken that caught on fire.

"You're trying to seduce me with food," she joked. "How original."

"If I was goin' t' seduce ye, I don't believe I'd do it with somethin' growin' in that womb o' yer's," he replied.

She laughed at his bluntness. Melissa remembered she had fallen in love that bluntness – which was also their downfall. It was ironic how something could make a couple so strong and close, but could also tear them apart.

She took a bite of her spaghetti that he made. It surprised her that it was actually good. It reminded her of going out to Olive Garden on a Friday night with a group of friends. There was no Italian music or buzz of other tables around them now. It was just the silence and the two of them seated at a small table, relaxed.

"This is really good," she admitted.

"Told ya so," he teased.

His playfulness. That was what she had fallen in love with. Bluntness and playfulness. Two clashing traits.

He must be a Gemini.

"Beginners luck," she playfully replied.

"I must say that it's immensely better that chicken..." he grinned.

The chicken. She was never going to live that down.

"We balance each other out," she said. "Yin and yang."

"I get th' good cook role!"

"I'll bet you do," she said softly to herself.

"Ya get th' roll o' saint still."

Saint. He hadn't called her that in so long. Just like she hadn't called him Pirate.

Melissa was quiet, remembering the day he first called her that. It was the day after they met, they day that they first kissed.

"I miss you not calling me that," she said, sobering from their laughs before. "I used to love when you called me 'saint'."

"Ya said that ya weren't one, though."

"I miss it, though." She paused. "Call me it again."

"Saint."

She grinned. "Pirate."


	43. Two Weeks Later

Chapter Forty-Three

Two Weeks Later

This chapter skips ahead. Woo hoo! Everything that happens is explained.

* * *

Two weeks passed. Melissa had started school at the University of Minnesota on September 4. In the past weeks, she had bought her books with her father and took it easy. She knew that college was going to be hard and had rested while she could.

Melissa had ordered a gender testing kit to see whether her baby was a boy or girl. It had arrived on Tuesday, her first day of college. She was excited to see that it had finally come.

Melissa opened the box and followed the directions. She pricked her finger with a needle that came with the kit and put it on the designated area of the paper.

She sent it off the next morning at the post office.

Two weeks until the answer. She'd be thirteen weeks pregnant then.

* * *

Kate spent her two weeks shopping for things for her and Will's house in New York. The two agreed that it would be best to quit his job at Fort Snelling as the blacksmith and work on last-minute things for the apartment. 

They had bought nearly all the furniture for their apartment over the past two weeks and were halfway done with miscellaneous things. Everything would be delivered to Kate's parents house while they were on their honeymoon. Her parents agreed to clear out the garage during that week so that they could store their things in there.

Kate was thankful that she had a job that paid so well. She had no idea it would be so expensive to pay for everything for the house!

The soon-to-be-newlyweds style differed, she soon found out. Her style was relaxed, while Will's was more plain. While looking at things for the house, like bed sheets, she would say, "Your style is my style, though, right?" He would reply with "Yes, dear."

Not without a sigh first, though.

* * *

Jack thought that Melissa had been obsessive compulsively checking that e-mail of her's. Every thirty minutes it seemed like she would be checking it to see if she had gotten an e-mail from the gender testing company about the results of the gender of their child. She had sent the blood test off a few days ago – it was now Friday, September 7. 

"It won't come fer 'nother week," Jack said. They were sitting on the couch watching television. He was, anyway. Melissa was checking the e-mail – again.

"What if they have no other blood to analyze, though? They could be done with mine!" she said.

He prayed that their child didn't end up like her. Jack wasn't sure if he could stand another blonde like that in his ear all the time. He especially hoped that if it was a girl, it wouldn't have a high voice like her.

Jack hoped it was a boy. No, he prayed it was a boy. Their boy would be the spitting image of him. With a boy, Jack could talk to him about things his father had talked with him, like how to treat a woman (he half-listened; marriage was never his route. Too much commitment. He had the last name Sparrow for a reason!) and teach him how to shoot a gun when he's older.

"The more I think about having a child, it's not so scary as it once was," she said.

He remembered the day she found out. She was practically a mute, dead eyes to match. When she told him, she was crying.

"Not that it could get much worse," he commented.

She nodded in agreement. "It couldn't. It's not how I pictured having a child, but I think that we're meant to have this child for a reason. I have to grow up a little, and you have to take care of someone."

Yes, Melissa did have to grow up a bit. And it sure would be a crash course for him to take care of someone else.

"'N' 'ow do ya plan on growin' up, dearie?" he asked.

Jack would love nothing more than to hear naive, eighteen-year-old Melissa's answer to that question.

"I've always tried to overlook the bad in things and see the good," she said.

This was coming from the girl who thought that she had food poisoning when it was morning sickness she had.

"I'm naive, and I know it, Jack. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have taken you back when you cheated on me."

That's not true. Any woman in her right mind would take him back. He is Captain Jack Sparrow, after all. She was smart, actually.

"I've been book smart my whole life. I was the girl who never failed a test and knew the answer to practically every question. I was stupid, though. I trusted the wrong people sometimes and didn't know how to have fun. I went to church nearly every Sunday and never swore. Heck, the first time that I _really_ partied was at Dani's house."

Ah, Dani's house. That was the first time that she got drunk. They also did something quite inappropriate in the laundry room.

"I wished I could be like Kate. She was book smart and street smart. I envied her. I mean – she's beautiful. She was prom queen our senior year, even! People loved her." She smiled. "She didn't even want to be prom queen. She was furious that people would label her like that. I told her that it was a compliment that so many people liked her. She said it was because she got into the modeling industry."

Weren't friends not supposed to be jealous of each other? She probably hadn't felt any better about herself when he decided to have a near-love affair with Kate last June. Probably felt like chopped liver at the time.

"You're a good friend, though, Jack." She looked up at him. "You're the first person who made me feel like I'm happy with who I am."

Now the flattery. Flattery never hurt – and he liked hearing flattery.

"You brought out something in me that I had never felt before. Even though we're only friends now, you still bring that out in me. Thank you."

If she didn't be quiet, he'd start getting sentimental. That was about the last thing Captain Jack Sparrow was.

"So s'ppose our kid sixteen years from now breaks curfew," he said, changing the subject. "What do ya do?"

The look in her eyes turned from soft back to normal. Apparently he had broken a bonding moment.

He did like to wave moments like that by, though.

"I don't know. I'm more concerned about them just being born, I'm not thinking about when they can drive. I'll be old then. Thirty-five! And you'll be forty-eight! Gosh, we'll be ancient!"

"Thirty-five and forty-eight is 'ardly a sack of bones."

"It's old to me when I'm eighteen." She paused. "I don't know what I'd do if he or she breaks curfew. Take the car keys away for a week?"

"'N' that shows ye'd be a 'orrible disciplinarian."

"Then what would you do? Lock them in their room the rest of the night?" she asked playfully.

"Take the keys from 'em, lock 'em in their room, flush the keys down the toilet, then let them out of the room."

She laughed. "This is why I'm going to be the disciplinarian!"

Melissa would probably be too lenient with the child. If she was going to change like she said she was, though, she really could take away the car keys – and give a good grounding.

His eyes drifted towards her stomach. When she stood, she seemed to have a small bump, like after someone drank water. He wondered if she noticed it, or if it looked the same when she looked down at her stomach.

There was a chime on Melissa's laptop. Eagerly, she looked at it.

_Oh bugger_, he thought, _just what we need. A chime t' tell us that there's mail!_

"It's Kate," she said.

Jack looked at the screen. In a small box (different than an e-mail, she had said it was instant messaging before), there were the words:

**Kate: **Hey there, stranger. 

"What do we do?" he asked.

Melissa typed back. Her response appeared in the same box.

**Melissa: **Three weeks for not talking is a record for us, isn't it?

**Kate: **I think so. By the way, Will says hi.

Wasn't that great? The bloody eunuch said hello.

Jack felt a sudden need to commandeer the laptop. This had been the first time he had talked to Kate since their day at Quiznos! And it sounded like the bloody eunuch still was going to marry the wench!

**Jack: **Kate! I had the most splendid dream last night about you! 

"I'm sure she won't care to hear about your dreams," Melissa said.

**Will: **If that involves anything romantic with my fiancée, I suggest you keep that dream what it is, Jack. 

Jack didn't type anything.

"Oh, Jack," Melissa muttered.

"It was a kiss!" he defended.

"And that matters?" she said, typing on the laptop.

**Melissa: **Eight more days until wedding bells! Tell me everything, you two. How busy are you packing your things for the apartment in New York? You've bought everything? Any nerves? 

"A li'l nosy there, Mel?" Jack asked.

"Quiet, she's my friend. This is huge for her."

"A huge mistake," he mumbled.

**Will: **We're quite busy. I quit my job at Fort Snelling to buy things with Kate for the house for the last two weeks. We've bought everything for the house that we can at this point. She and I have been packing our things that we already have for the house. We have a U-Haul that we're going to use to drive to New York in. I got my licence yesterday, thanks to a very persistent fiancée. 

"Driver's licence in two months? They're crazy," Melissa said.

Driver's licence? Will had something he didn't have! Two things, actually.

"Drivin' could be fun –"

"No!" Melissa replied quickly.

**Kate: **No cold feet yet. People think that we're crazy for getting married so young, but when you know, you know. LeAnn Rimes got married when she was nineteen. She got engaged to someone that she knew for only three weeks! They're still married, and it's been six-and-a-half years. 

"No, I _know_ they're mad," Jack said.

**Melissa: **Good to hear. Otherwise no bachelorette party.

**Kate:**Oh, God...

**Jack: **Hear that, William? A bachelor party for the men!

Jack pondered how to make this bachelor party unforgettable for young William. Women? Drinks? Both? One week from now would be his last night of freedom, thus submitting himself to a lifetime of one woman!

Although Jack could hardly see Will having a fun time with a scantily clad woman and alcohol a day before the wedding.

**Will: **I would prefer that there are no women and drinks, Jack. If you get married, I'll get all the women and drinks you could ever want.

**Jack: **What is marriage? I hear it's a punishment, condemning faithfulness...

**Kate: **There's your incentive for getting married.

**Jack: **Every night in Tortuga was a bachelor night, darling. No wedding the next day, though: how extraordinary.

**Kate: **You're hopeless. Melissa, how do you put up with him?

"Yes, dearie, how _do_ you put up with me?" Jack asked her.

**Melissa: **I don't know.

**Kate: **Ah...Say, I've been meaning to ask you: is the wedding going to be awkward? You two are done, right?

**Jack: **Free, single, not committed to another person and/or being.

**Melissa: **Of course the wedding won't be awkard. He and I are friends still. It just wasn't meant to be a relationship. A friendship is much easier. Oh, and I've started reading What to Expect When You're Expecting. Only a few more days of morning sickness. Thank goodness it's almost done. I have lost weight, but you feel awful, though.

**Kate: **I'll bet you do. You're going to be in the hot mom's club, though.

**Melissa: **I better!

**Kate: **Don't worry. They have a spot saved for you.

**Will: **I wish you nothing but the best of luck, Jack and Melissa. Raising a child will be difficult, but it's life's greatest blessing.

**Jack: **You act like this is the last time we'll talk.

**Will: **What are we going to do after Kate and I move to New York? We won't speak until Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The eunuch had a point. He wouldn't be able to talk to Kate until Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Bugger.

**Melissa: **E-mailing. We can just update each other whenever we have something to say. I'll be sending you two things about the baby. 

"Like names," Jack said. "Pearl."

"Amy," Melissa replied.

"What happened to Audrey?"

"I like Amy."

**Kate: **Sounds great! I expect sonograms, though...

**Melissa: **Sonograms you will get.

**Kate: **Great! How's college going?

**Melissa: **Murder. There's so much homework. I'm ready for a break already.

**Kate: **You're four days into it.

**Melissa: **And I have four years of it. Yay.

**Kate: **You'll do fine. Don't worry. And besides, you get a break in a few days! We have to go, though. We'll talk to you guys at the airport. Wednesday morning the flight leaves at 8:00.

**Melissa: **We'll be there, don't worry.

**Jack: **Wouldn't miss it for anything, love.

**Will:**We'll see you on Wednesday!

**Jack: **Bye.

**Will: **Must you have the last word?

**Jack: **Always.


	44. It's Time

Chapter Forty-Four

It's Time

**

* * *

**

Kate had been able to fool herself for five weeks into thinking that she wasn't moving. She, like Melissa, had lived in one place her whole life. She could still fool herself. The boxes around the room were just decorations. Her bed was still in place with the covers. The walls were still blue.

The knick-knacks on her dresser were gone. Her closet was empty. She would never sleep in this room again.

The next time she would be in this house was when she came back to collect the things that she and Will had bought. They would come back next Wednesday evening and leave Thursday morning to go to New York.

Five weeks ago they had bought their apartment in New York. It legally became their's yesterday. It was hard to believe that she and Will were going to be in that apartment two weekends from now.

It was Wednesday now. The clock read 6:00 AM. It was time to leave.

Time to leave for Miami.

Time to get married.

Time for her life to change.

"Kate," Will said at her door.

She turned to face him.

"It's time to go."

_It's time for many things_, she thought, taking his hand and going out the door.

* * *

"Jack!" Melissa said, at the foot of the stairs. "Start moving! It's 6:15, we're going to be late!" 

Many things that Jack did irritated her. One more thing that she could add to that growing list was that his schedule was everyone else's schedule. Apparently he was just fine with missing her friend's flight to Miami to get married. She, however, wasn't! Especially not if she was the maid of honor!

"Th' plane doesn't leave 'til 8:00," he said from the bedroom upstairs.

Was he still packing? She had packed her last things last night. She took extra care with putting her bridesmaid dress in a blue dress protector last night, the same one that she had kept her dress in for prom.

"We board the plane at 7:30, though!" she said. "It takes nearly forty-five minutes to get to the airport and about thirty minutes to get through security and get to the right gate."

"We'll make it. See? Perfect timing!"

"Get down here!"

"I'm comin', ya banshee..."

She knew that he enjoyed calling her a banshee. There was no doubt in her mind that if their child was a girl, it would be what he called a banshee. If it was boy, he would probably be arrogant and free-spirited like Jack.

If any two people should not have a child together, it was probably her and Jack, she figured.

When he came down the stairs with his suitcase, she saw that he was wearing dark-wash jeans and a black t-shirt. He was going to die in dark colors! She was smart enough to wear a red and white plaid tunic with lighter-wash jeans. Were it not thirty-five degrees outside, she would be wearing shorts to go into ninety degree weather.

"Black isn't a good color if you're in the sun," she said slowly, as if she were talking to a child. "Florida is near the Caribbean. It's warm in the Caribbean."

"I know. E'en if I wanted t' change, we wouldn't 'ave time, would I, love?"

Gosh, their child would be arrogant.

* * *

Jack and Melissa arrived at the airport at 7:00. Melissa found out that she was right: it did take them nearly half an hour to go through security and get to gate twenty-five. She saw some of Kate's family that she recognized, like her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Melissa saw quite a few that she didn't recognize, though. She also saw some talking to Will. Maybe those were his former co-workers? 

They boarded the plane shortly after 7:30. Melissa and Jack found their seat, 24A and 24B. She noticed that much of the wedding guests were grouped in the back. There were about twenty other passengers, who mostly looked like they were going to Miami for business.

He put the suitcases in the overhead compartment, then looked around at all the people.

"I'll be right back, love," Jack said.

"You can't, Jack, people are trying to get through."

Defiant Jack didn't listen. She had a guess that he was going off to talk to Kate. She sat down in the middle seat and sighed, text messaging a friend. She wouldn't have a chance to talk to the soon-to-be newlyweds until this afternoon, since they would be out signing the marriage contract.

Three and a half hours until sun in Miami.

* * *

Cutler Beckett hated planes. He hated buses. He hated all means of anything to do with public transportation. The people were incompetent. They talked too loud on their cell phones or weren't paying attention at what stop to get off. 

It was a wonder why he was thirty-five and not yet married. Women liked someone with money, didn't they?

He saw a plump woman with curly grey hair laughing boisterously with a man with graying hair. Beckett guessed that was her husband.

Lord Almighty, did he hate these types of people. How was he supposed to get through a three and a half hour flight with Kate and Will's family and friends?

Brandy.

He made his way to 24C. Three rows away, he could see that a blonde woman who appeared to be eighteen or so was sitting in a middle seat, looking out the window.

That girl was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was delicate, beautiful...innocent. His skin tingled just by looking at her.

When he discovered that he would be sitting next to this beautiful woman for the flight, three and a half hours suddenly didn't seem like a long enough flight. Words could not describe how thankful he was that he wasn't sitting next to the shrill grandmother.

Was she single? Was she legal? Oh, God, so many questions!

He put his suitcase in the overhead compartment. That made her look up. She had stunning blue eyes. They were the perfect color of light blue – they weren't ice blue like some were. They weren't a dull blue, either. They were full of energy, youth, happiness.

Beckett instantly became infatuated with her. He didn't even know the name of this stunning woman yet!

Would he even be able to say his name without getting tongue-tied?

He closed the overhead compartment and sat down in the aisle seat. The girl had turned her attention to her cell phone. He saw that she was text messaging someone. Only then did he notice that the shirt she was wearing showed a bit of cleavage.

Would she notice that he was looking at her? She would think that he was a man who belonged in an asylum, kept away from women for life. He wasn't mad, though. Beckett simply couldn't get over how stunning this woman was. Her straight hair was tucked behind her ears – he could get a decent view of her profile. She had beautiful bone structure, a small nose, and medium lips. It was nothing overwhelming – simply beautiful.

Was she flying with a man on the flight? God, he hoped not. The seat next to her was empty, always a promising sign.

She closed her phone. He took that as his cue to take her eyes off of her. If he was going to have any luck getting into a hotel room of her's tonight, he would hardly want to appear what he felt. He would frighten her off.

With luck, they would get along and talk the rest of the flight. He would then ask her out to lunch somewhere after they had gotten situated in their respectable rooms. Perhaps a sunset stroll on the beach? Who knew where the night would lead after that. He hoped that they would not be returning to their respectable rooms, though.

"Hey," the woman next to him said.

"Hey"? All he got was a "hey"?

"Cutler," he said, extending a hand.

Thank God. He had said one word to her successfully.

"Cutler?" she laughed. "Who was your mom? Julia Child?"

Feisty one, eh?

"And I suppose your name is more beautiful than being named after cutlery?" he asked.

"I'm named after an animal."

What was her name? Cat? Bea?

"Melissa. It's bee. Greek."

Melissa. Only a name with that beauty could be matched with someone like her.

"Did Will invite you to the wedding?" she asked.

_That hellcat did_, he thought, remembering the day Kate brought Baby Think It Over back to him, along with the wedding invitation.

"Miss Sims did. I was their counselor –"

A look that displayed that she knew she was in deep trouble took over her face. She instantly broke eye contact with him and looked frantically around the back half of the plane.

"Y-You have the wrong seat," she said.

Had she gone mad? Perhaps she didn't like counselors. He would promise not to do a psychoanalysis on her. He wasn't even _that_ sort of counselor. He was a couple's counselor.

"No, I believe I do. This is 24C, correct."

"There are seats in the front, there aren't going to be that people going from Minneapolis to Miami at 8:00 on a Wednesday morning. Please – go."

She wasn't giving him an explanation – she must really be mad. Or perhaps she caught him looking at her the entire time when she when she was sending a text message. She didn't see him doing that, did she?

"I am not moving unless you tell me that this seat is either taken or I am in great harm of becoming injured –"

"Lord Cutler Beckett."

Beckett remembered that voice. He knew that voice all too well.

This is why Cutler Beckett hated public transportation.

He turned around to see none other than _Captain_ Jack Sparrow standing in the aisle, hands on his hips.

"Jack Sparrow," he said.

"Cap'n, mate. Now, if ye'd be so obliged to stand up...same fer ya, love."

Was he joking? Beckett wasn't going to let him sit here! This was his seat!

"I do believe I see a few spots open in the front, Mr. Sparrow. Why don't you keep them company?"

"I'm sure that those seats want somethin' as stiff as they are t' keep 'em company."

"Jack, just sit down," Melissa said. She was obviously annoyed by his actions, yet it was clear that she knew him. Were they lovers? A beautiful woman such as this should not be wasted with a man like Jack Sparrow!

All the more reason to see where things might go.

"Mel, I'm not sittin' next t' 'im!" Jack said.

"And you won't," she replied. "You'll have the window seat, I'll have the middle."

This was becoming amusing. He wondered if they fought often.

"Mel –"

"Sit!"

Beckett took this as his cue to stand up. She stood up, too, and got in the narrow aisle.

"Yes, do sit, Mr. Sparrow," Beckett grinned.

Jack gave them a glare. "I hate ya both." He looked at Beckett. "I hate ya more, though."

* * *

Melissa had heard of flights getting awkward. She had never been on an awkward flight, herself. She liked to consider her flights normal. Melissa would put on her headphones and look out the window or talk to one of her parents. 

She was sitting between Captain Jack Sparrow and Lord Cutler Beckett. This hardly what one could consider a normal flight.

Why did Kate stick her all the way over here? Why couldn't Beckett move somewhere else? She could only pray that she wouldn't be next to Beckett the flight home.

After the plane had lifted off into the air, she took out a fashion magazine and tried to read it, although it was hard with the tension in the air that she could have cut with a knife. She didn't want to be between these two, not if they were both stubborn and not going to move. Why couldn't she have gotten placed next to one of Kate's relatives, like her stoner cousin, Jamie? True, he couldn't hold much of a conversation, but he talked about the funniest things.

Melissa saw that there was a sample of Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume, Lovely. She didn't think it would be good to open on a plane – with her luck, someone in front of her was allergic to it.

"Lovely," Beckett said.

Did Beckett think that Sarah Jessica Parker was lovely? She would have expected that he would have said that a few pages back at the Victoria's Secret ad.

"What?" she asked.

"Lovely," he repeated. "If ever there was a fragrance that suited you best, that would be it."

Melissa Lewes was being hit on by Cutler Beckett? She felt sick just at the thought of it!

Why wasn't she more persistent in making him move earlier? She had a feeling that she would never hear the end of this from Jack.

What was it with her and older men lately? First there was Jack, who was thirteen years older than her, and now Beckett, who was a good fifteen or twenty years older than her! She always thought older guys were very attractive (Matt Damon was her favorite), but someone at least fifteen years older than her was just perverted.

"Oi," Jack said. "Ya mess with my Mel 'gain...it won't be lovely."

Just like the old days, she felt his kiss on her lips. She didn't feel the same way she had when he kissed her before. Melissa wasn't weak in the knees or would have killed for just a few moments more. She knew it was an act – only for her protection.

He was a good friend, but a horrible boyfriend.

"Do I owe you?" she whispered into Jack's ear.

"Ya do, dearie," he replied.

* * *

The flight landed in Miami, Florida at 12:25. Kate noticed that it was warm out, bright, too. Ninety degree weather was unheard of in mid-September in Minnesota. 

After making their way through Miami International, the group boarded a coach bus that drove them to the Trump hotel. The soon-to-be newlyweds sat in the front of the bus, all smiles. Her parents sat in the seats across from them, and Bootstrap sat behind her and Will.

An hour later (it should have only taken half an hour, but everyone had to get their luggage under the bus), the group arrived at the Trump Sonesta Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach. They got their luggage and went into the lobby.

The Trump reminded Kate of a posh New York City office lobby. There was a water fountain built to go down the wall. She saw that there was an empty bar across the lobby, near a few elevators. Relaxing piano music played over them.

Her father turned to them. "Kate, it's going to be a while to get everyone checked in. Why don't you go sign the marriage contract while we get the guests in their rooms?"

She nodded, then looked for Jack and Melissa, and asked if they wanted to be the witnesses for the marriage contract. The four handed Kate's father their suitcases, then went to catch a taxi. They drove ten minutes to the North Dade Justice Center and went to the front desk and asked if they could sign a marriage contract.

The woman at the desk printed out a copy (after asking questions, proving they were citizens and of legal age with birth certificates and IDs) and lead the four of them to a table. Kate and Will sat down. He was the first one to sign it.

Kate's throat became dry. She could feel her hands getting clammy and want to start shaking. She was about to sign a marriage contract. Why was she going to? More importantly, why was she second-guessing herself right now? She had felt pretty confident through their engagement that she was right by marrying him. Kate also knew that now would be the time when she was second guessing herself.

For the first time, it hit her than in three days, she would be married. She'd be a wife at eighteen to a man four years older than her and whom she had known for three months.

Oh, God, this was a horrible idea to get married. She was pretty sure her hands were going to shake if she didn't hold them; how could she sign a marriage contract?

Maybe it was a sign. Maybe she shouldn't be getting married. Did everyone feel like this right before they signed a marriage contract?

She could only imagine what she would feel like on Saturday.

Will passed her the pen. Above the word "wife", she was to sign her name. Kate Sims – a wife in three days.

She couldn't do this. Kate had gotten out of a two-year relationship three months ago, and found someone on the rebound pretty damn fast for being in love so long.

No. She was meant to do this. Kate had wanted to marry Will for so long. They were made for each other. Nothing could keep them apart.

Not even her fear of putting her signature on this piece of paper.

Much to her surprise, her hands weren't shaking as she signed her name above the word "wife".

* * *

**More goodness from the gang in Florida next chapter!**


	45. Good Luck

Chapter Forty-Five

Good Luck

* * *

Jack had been planning this moment for two months. He had anticipated the four of them sitting in a hotel room and getting drunk.

Well, Melissa might not be able to, for the baby and whatnot. Will wasn't known to drink, either. Kate had a good chance of trying it, since she didn't have the responsibility of driving and her parents weren't going to talk to her after dinner. He always wonder what a drunk Katherine Sims would act like.

"What do girls yer age drink?" Jack asked Melissa, going down the vodka aisle. They were at a liquor store just across the street from the hotel. It was now 4:00. The nauseating couple was...who knows where they were. The ocean? "Grey Goose? Bacardi? Should rum be 'er first drink?"

"Are you sure you want to get her drunk?" she asked.

"It's th' entertainment fer th' night. She'll spill all 'er secrets! Now, 'elp me, what should we get 'er?"

"Try a strawberry daiquiri."

The fact that Melissa wanted to get Kate drunk was a surprise in itself. It was a whole different surprise to see that she was actually helping.

"We'll get a powder mix, then some white rum to mix it in with. How about that?"

"Bugger, Mel, 'ow much do ya know 'bout alcohol?"

"I'm just thinking of what she would drink a few years from now." She put her hand on her stomach and looked over the rums. "I'll go get the mix."

"Are ya drinkin' with us? 'Cause if ya are...that could...that's not good fer th' baby."

Bugger, he was getting too vulnerable about the bloody baby.

She smiled. "No, I'll just add water to mine."

Jack was silently relieved.

Before Melissa turned away to get the mix, she said, "I have a feeling this is going to be a fun night."

That was a side of Melissa he had never seen before. Why was it only coming out now?!

* * *

Melissa had poured the rum into the strawberry daiquiri pail and stirred it with a few cheap, disposable spoons they bought at the store. All four were in Kate and Melissa's hotel room. Melissa handed Kate her drink first, seeing as she was the only one that hadn't drank. They drank out of red plastic cups, much like the night at Dani's party.

Deja vu.

"Okay," Kate said. "Here we go."

"Kate, I'm not so sure –" Will began

"Let 'er 'ave some fun, William," Jack said.

Melissa went back to the black counter by the sink and filled a cup by the sink and handed a cup to both. Jack looked in it. "Pink. 'Ow girly."

Melissa laughed. "Daiqiries are good, though. Virgin ones, anyway. Rum is in it, though. I should hear no objections from you."

All four were seated in a circle. Melissa's back was against the foot of the bed, Jack was against the wall across from her. Will and Kate were seated across from each other. Kate had one leg out – it was a very relaxed vibe.

"A toast." Jack raised his cup. "T' th' soon-t'-be newlyweds!"

"To Will and Kate!" Melissa agreed, raising her virgin daiquiri.

All four of them clinked the cheap cups together.

"Thanks, you guys," Kate said. "It's good to be toasted to, isn't it, Will?"

"Of course it is, darling," he agreed.

Kate put the cup to her lips and started drinking. Her eyes became wide and swallowed. "God!" Her voice became slightly hoarse. "Mel, you never told me that rum hurts!"

"You'll get used to it," she replied nonchalantly. "Kate, tell us a story."

"Oh, a story when I'm drunk. I see where you're going with this." She took another drink. "This isn't half-bad, actually."

"Tell your fiancé and Jack about...rock climbing in tenth grade."

"Ask me that when I'm drunk. How about you tell them about...last year at Barnes and Noble."

Melissa remembered what happened last year at Barnes and Noble. It was not something that she was proud of.

"I'd rather not," Melissa said, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Come on! It's your infamous blonde moment. You _have_ to!"

"Tell it!" Jack egged. "I want t' add 'nother blonde moment t' yer already quite extensive list."

Melissa took a drink of her virgin daiquiri and sighed. "I got a gift card to Barnes and Noble last Christmas from my grandparents. During winter break, Kate and I went so that I could pick up a few CDs."

"What were they?" Jack asked.

"That's irrelevant," Melissa said.

"Ooh, that's a pretty big word for ya," he teased.

Teasing her did get information out.

"Carrie Underwood and Reba McIntire."

"Sorry I asked," he muttered.

"She's been making you watch CMT in the mornings, hasn't she?" Kate asked him.

"O' course."

Melissa smiled sweetly. "He's gotten used to it."

"Back t' th' story," Jack redirected.

This story embarrassed her so much.

"I got the CDs and I went to the register to check out," Melissa continued. "And the guy working the register is really cute."

"Really cute is an understatement," Kate chimed in.

Melissa chuckled. "Brown hair, light blue eyes, eighteen or so...He could have easily been a Greek god. So he checked my two CDs out and then asked me for my phone number. I thought that he was flirting with me, so I said, 'Wouldn't you like to know?'"

"She said it quite flirtly, too," Kate added.

"And then he gives me this weird look and says, 'It's store policy, ma'am.'"

Everyone laughed. Kate was probably the one laughing the hardest, a combination of quite possibly Melissa's best blonde moment and the alcohol starting to take an effect.

"What story does th' whelp 'ave t' share with us?" Jack asked. "'N' not a sappy or sad one. 'As t' be funny!"

Melissa didn't know much about Will. They had only talked a few times – what sort of funny things could have happened to him?

"Tell the one about how you thought I was engaged!" Kate said.

Will thought Kate was engaged? Oh, this would be a good story. Will's naivety was good for a laugh or two.

"That was a misunderstanding," Will said to his fiancée.

"It was a funny one," she said. "Tell it!"

"We're all tellin' one," Jack said.

Will sighed. "Fine. The day that I met Kate, I thought that she was engaged. Many women around Kate and Melissa's age were engaged or married. I thought that perhaps she had a fiancé already and he would be angry if he saw us together. She seems like the type that would be engaged to Commodore Norrington."

Jack coughed. "Liz."

Melissa laughed and rolled her eyes. Of course Will thought she was engaged. That's what he was used to. She could just picture him innocently asking her that question.

"That's it? I'm waitin' fer the punch line," Jack said. "No story o' ya trippin' as a lad?"

"In retrospect, I thought it was humorous," Will said.

"Yes, William, hilarious," Jack said sarcastically.

"Your turn, Jack," Melissa said.

Jack cleared his throat. "Jackalicious definition make them girls go looney / They want my treasures so they get their pleasures from my movie –" he sang.

"Stop!" Kate begged. "Oh, God, what is that?"

He had chosen to sing Jackalicious? That wasn't funny – that was torture!

"Jackalicious! What do ya think, love?" he asked.

"I think you should never sing that again!" Kate took another drink. "Tell something _funny_. Tell a story."

Melissa knew just the story.

"Tell them the story of when you first met my parents," she suggested.

Jack snapped his finger and pointed at her. "Brilliant!"

"Oh, dear," Kate said. She took another drink of her daiquiri. Melissa wondered how much was left. She wondered when she'd start slurring her words and when the alcohol would start kicking in.

"It was th' night o' th' storm where th' power went out," Jack said. "'Member that?"

"Yes, we remember," Will said.

"Well, Mel 'n' I fell 'sleep on th' couch. Father Lewes comes 'ome with Mother Lewes th' next morning, 'n' I'm in my regular clothes."

"Regular clothes meaning his pirate clothes," Melissa interpreted for Kate, who nodded.

"'Er father asks what I'm wearin', 'n' I say clothes," Jack continued. "I said it was theme days at th' vet office. I said that Friday was Pirate Day."

"Mind you that my dad thought that Jack worked with me and came over to keep me company during the storm and everything," Melissa said to Kate and Will. "And my dad was skeptical, because...come on. Theme days at a vet's office? And that's when Jack goes..."

Jack closed one eye and used one hand as a hook. "Aye, me matey! Down t' th' brig with ya!"

Kate was laughing so hard that she almost spilled her drink. Melissa could see that it was about half full. No wonder it was funnier than usual.

"I..." She paused to regain her breath after laughing. "I'm curious, Jack. Were you channeling the pirate that you always wanted to be, or were you doing a horrible imitation of Barbossa?"

"I was doin' whate'er would get me out o' that 'ouse," Jack said.

"I must say, you're a quick thinker," Will said.

Melissa hadn't seen Will drink any of his drink yet. She guessed that Kate would be taking that from him if he didn't get a move on that.

"William, I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow. O' course I am."

There was a brief pause before Kate said, "Do I get to go next?"

_Thank God you're drunk enough to_, Melissa thought.

"Yes, Kate," Melissa said patiently.

"What was it?" Kate asked herself. "Oh, yeah! Rock climbing! Gym class. Tenth grade. Well, you know that rock climbing equipment you put on? Oh, what's it called? The, um..."

Sadly, Melissa knew exactly what Kate was talking about.

"Harness?" she suggested.

"Yeah! The harness! Well, I put that on so I could rock climb and put all the ropes on to support me and whatnot. So I start climbing, and about halfway up the wall, I hear this kid from my class below me shout, 'Look! Kate really does have an ass!' Because of the harness, and the lack of an ass that I possess..." Kate couldn't continue it before she burst out laughing.

"I think that boy's quite rude," Will said. He then added quietly, "Should I be taking that from her?"

And see Kate's one chance at embarrassing herself? No. Plus, the hangover was good revenge for making her sit next to Beckett on that flight.

"I think she's having a good time, actually," Melissa said to him. "She'll be fine, don't worry."

Although, the first time that Melissa got drunk, she wasn't fine. Will had to take her outside and have her get some fresh air. She was a quick drunk. Then again, it was her first time – with hard liquor, no less.

At least Kate's was strawberry flavored with hard liquor.

"Ya know what this makes me want t' sing?" Jack asked.

"Oooh! What?" Kate asked.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life fer me," he started to sing.

"Let's go on the balcony and sing it!" Kate said, standing up and grabbing his hand.

"Easy there, darlin'," Jack said while she pulled him up.

They went out to the balcony and started to sing "A Pirate's Life For Me". Melissa and Will stayed in the hotel room. Melissa was pretty pleased to see Kate drunk – Kate seemed to be happy, too. Will, however, looked only embarrassed.

"_That_ is the girl I'm supposed to marry in three days?"

Yes, Will was supposed to be marry the drunk girl singing "A Pirate's Life For Me" with Jack Sparrow on the balcony in three days.

"Yep," she said. She raised her glass to him, then took a drink. "Good luck with her. You'll need it, Will."

* * *

**Just a few more chapters until the wedding! .**


	46. Lovers and Friends

Chapter Forty-Six

Lovers And Friends

**Name of this chapter sound familiar? That's because I don't own it.**

**Sorry it's so short. It's a filler chapter. The next one's just going to be fun (for Jack and Melissa at least, who knows what Will and Kate are going to be thinking of? Expect a good ol' therapy session with the friends!) then the chapter after that's the wedding!

* * *

**

Why was Melissa blaring country music?

Why did it feel like Kate was sleeping on a bed of rocks?

Hesitantly, she opened one eye. Knives felt like they were being stabbed in. Oh, God, it was awful.

"Mel, could you please turn it down?" Kate asked.

She realized that not only did she feel like shit, but she sounded like it. Kate was sure that she looked like it, too.

"It's pretty quiet, Kate," Melissa yelled.

Where was she? Was she in the bathroom? Why did she sound like she was right at her ear?

"Stop yelling," she said, partly to herself as she rolled over in her bed of rocks, face down. Apparently she wasn't loud enough. It was probably because she was muffled that there was no response. Or maybe Melissa was basking in the glory of seeing someone else work off a hangover, compared to her.

But, unlike Melissa's first night of drinking, Kate remembered what happened. Everyone had told funny stories (at least Will attempted to – his was so dumb that it was somewhat humorous. Oh, her adorable fiancé...). Melissa had told about the time they were in Barnes and Noble – which she had to admit, it was still hilarious to this day. Mr. Daiquiri, though, made it all the funnier. Jack told about the time when he met Melissa's dad and acted as a pirate. How ironic. A real pirate trying to act like a stereotypical one. That was Acting 101, and he aced it. Once drunk, Kate told about the time that she went rock climbing indoors and how a guy in her class called out to everyone that she really does have an ass.

Oh, God. She would never live down from Melissa how she forgot what a harness was.

That wasn't all, though. She had decided to go on the balcony and sing "A Pirate's Life For Me" with Jack. A few people in the swimming pool below them had looked up at them. She prayed that no one recognized her.

After that, the group talked some more, about everything, really. Melissa had gone one full day without checking her inbox to see if she had gotten something from the gender testing company about their baby. The group congratulated her by giving her a round of applause. Will said that he couldn't wait to move to New York and start a new life with Kate (Jack had said, "Don't be such a whelp, Whelp!"). Jack said that he had grown to be a good cook. Melissa agreed. Kate said that she was "uber-excited" for the wedding.

She hadn't really said the word "uber", had she?

After another hour, the group parted ways. Melissa and Kate stayed behind, and the boys went to their room for the night. Kate then fell asleep in the bed in the clothes that she wore the night before.

Then she woke up ten hours later with a hangover.

Being drunk was not fun the day after, she realized.

"I'm going to breakfast downstairs with Jack," Melissa said. "Then he and I are coming back here."

They were planning on going somewhere? Going back to the hotel room wouldn't make sense for Melissa.

"Here as in the Trump, or here as in this room?" Kate asked.

"Um...here as in _his_ room." Melissa was turning a shade of red that rivaled a firework.

This was news to Kate. She sat up – bad mistake, the knives were now both in her eyes _and_ head.

"Since when are you back together?" she asked.

"We're not back together," Melissa said, getting her white purse from her bed and putting her wallet inside.

Had Melissa turned into the town bicycle overnight? Whatever happened to her pure friend who, three months ago, would never dream of doing such a thing – with only a friend, no less! Now she was agreeing to sleep with someone who she wasn't in a relationship with anymore. It seemed as if they switched roles now – Melissa was the bad girl!

"Then what is this?" Kate asked. "Friends with benefits?"

"I don't know what it is," she responded.

"And you just feel like sleeping with the guy?"

Kate staggered out of bed – yet again, a bad idea.

"I owe him," Melissa said. "I don't care what it is that I have to do."

Owe him? What could Jack possibly have done that made Melissa feel like she owed him something? Even if Kate asked, Melissa probably wouldn't say.

"Expect Romeo to pay you a call in about an hour, Juliet," Melissa said, shutting the door behind her.

Silence.

"Goodbye to you, too," she said to walls.

Kate thought about getting up. She could brush her teeth and put some make-up on and change clothes. The idea of looking presentable was nice, but it was too much work when you were working off your first hangover.

What about grabbing some coffee with Will?

That was enough to get her out of bed.

Kate's hair was still straight from flat-ironing it last night before dinner (she really must not have moved at all last night in her sleep). She put some make-up on and changed into a blue camisole and a ripped denim miniskirt. She slipped some flip-flops onto her feet, got a ten dollar bill from her wallet in her suitcase, and grabbed the spare room key on the counter by the empty daiquiri pail (Melissa probably cleaned it up after she fell asleep).

She hated the daiquiri now.

Kate opened the door to find Will about to knock. She smiled. "Hey."

"Just the lovely lady I wanted to see," he said, kissing her on the lips.

She went out to the hallway and closed the door behind her, putting the card in her back pocket. "I'm surprised you're not embarrassed to be seen with the girl who sang 'A Pirate's Life For Me' on the balcony last night with Jack."

"I would if you did that while sober."

She laughed sardonically. "But I wasn't."

"No. You weren't." She laced her fingers through his. "Want some coffee? My treat."

He smiled. "I will if you let me buy."

Always the gentleman.

"I suppose," she said.

* * *

With any other person, a debt would include taking someone somewhere. Dinner, maybe? Bowling? 

This was not any other person, though. Melissa held a debt to Jack. He had saved her from Beckett's flirtations with a kiss.

A kiss, however, was not equal to sleeping with a person. Sex to Jack was nothing, though. She didn't know the number of women he had slept with, but she was sure it was more than Giselle, Scarlet, and her. Just a wild guess.

They had done It before, though. The first time, she was semi-nervous, yet sure that she was making the right decision (she knew now that he only said that he loved her more than rum to get her in bed – stupid her, she believed it). The second time, they did It just because they could. The third time, she was drunk and was at a party. The fourth time, now, she would be doing It because she had to pay off a debt.

What sort of web had she tangled herself into now?

She realized as they became one again, though, that it wasn't any different than before. For just a while, she felt like she was falling in love again. She made herself believe that she was not only paying of a debt, but that she loved Jack.

As soon as they got dressed, though, things were back to the way they were. They were only friends.

After all, friends helped each other out. Friends also payed back debts.

* * *

To Kate, there was nothing more romantic than a sunset walk on the beach, holding hands. She had never walked on the beach and held hands before. 

There were a lot of firsts with Will, she realized. He was her first true love, her first fiancé, and, in two days time, her first (and only, she hoped) husband.

The setting sun cast an orange-purple glow over the ocean. The warm water ticked her feet when she walked barefoot on it. She was holding her flip-flops in one hand and Will's hand the other.

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

"I'm getting married to you," he replied. "Why should I feel nervous?"

She laughed. Kate really did have a lucky guy.

"About now is the time you start getting cold feet," she said. "You don't have that?"

"I told you that I won't."

Even if he did have cold feet, though, why would he tell her?

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

She had started realizing yesterday that she was going to be married. It started with getting off the plane and signing the marriage license. Tonight they would be having their rehearsal dinner. Yes, she was starting to feel a little nervous.

"It's just bizarre to me," she admitted. "I'm eighteen and I know who I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

_I think I know_, she thought. _I pray to God that this is the right decision._

But fate brought them together. He was artistic, meant to be a photographer. She had bought that medallion by chance. This was meant to happen.

"Eighteen-year-olds don't usually get married. And I never planned on getting married young."

She thought that her ex, Scott, would have proposed on graduation night if they made that long. Kate never said that she would accept.

"Life changes unexpectedly Kate," Will said.

"You should know," she chucked.

Take waking up one morning in a stranger's bedroom, for instance. Three months ago, if someone told her that she would eventually marry him, she would say that they're crazy.

He was right. Life did change unexpectedly. All you could do was make the most out of it. That's exactly what she intended to do – exactly forty-eight hours from now, she would be marrying him.

She felt right at home with him and the ocean. Kate almost felt as if she had experienced before.

"Do you believe we had a past life together?" she asked.

"A past life?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Reincarnation. Do you think that we met before? In a different lifetime?"

She felt like they did. They bonded so quickly, quicker than she ever thought possible with someone.

"Perhaps," he said. "It wouldn't surprise me. Do you believe we had a past life together?"

"I do," she said. "I think we lived near the ocean together. We had children that adored you and couldn't wait until you came home. You were my husband and I was your wife."

Kate felt a chill go through her body. Was that just the cool breeze, or was that just the thought of them having a past life together?

"And I think I loved you very much," she added, looking into his eyes.

He gazed into her eyes. "I think I loved you very much, too."


	47. Bachelor Party

Chapter Forty-Seven

Bachelor Party

**No, of course I don't own "First Time" by Lifehouse.

* * *

**

This would be the last time that Will would see Kate before the wedding tomorrow. The next time they would see each other was when she was walking down the aisle to meet him at 6:30.

He and Kate were standing by the ocean together. It was colder than last night. The cool evening wind was coming from the east, from the ocean. He could see that she was starting to shiver lightly. Will wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I'm cold," she whispered.

The silence between them was deafening. Will didn't know what to say. All that she could say was that she was cold – he guessed that was only to break the silence.

He was growing more ready for their wedding. It was only twenty-three hours away. He remembered when he proposed in July. That was more than two months ago. At the time, it seemed as if September 15 would never get there. He had even counted the days to make it seem like their wedding day would get here quicker. It was surreal – now there was just twenty-three more hours left.

Was she nervous? Even if she was, he was sure she wouldn't tell her. She was a woman who hated to show vulnerability.

"We don't have to get married," he said, tucking his head over her's. "We can postpone it if you're nervous."

He was trying to make her feel better, yet see what she was really thinking at the same time. If she truly wasn't ready to get married, she would have to say it now. Even she would have said it already, though.

"I want to marry you, William Turner," she said softly. "I love you."

He would love to know what was going through her head right now. Marrying at eighteen to someone she had known for three months? She didn't have to do this. Yet she was – she wanted to.

"Buying that medallion was the best thing that ever happened to me," she continued. "I think back some days to what happened if I didn't buy it. I'd be in New York alone...it'd be awful. I thank God for you, Will."

And now they would never be alone.

"I thank God for you, too, Kate."

There was nothing more to say. The sun was setting and the night was coming to a close. They had to go their separate ways now.

The couple went into the hotel and went up the fifteenth floor. They got out of the elevator and went to a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the ocean.

"Get a good night's sleep," he murmured into her ear, "have a wonderful time getting ready tomorrow, and have a good time with Melissa. Know that I'll be waiting for my bride."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled. More than her lips were showing the smile. Her emerald green eyes were smiling, too.

"Look at the clock at midnight and think of me. Our day starts then," she said. "I'll meet you at the altar."

She kissed him and put on hand on their cheek. This would be their last kiss that would not be while they were married.

"I love you," he said to her.

Love was an understatement to what he felt to her. It wasn't passion. It was something deeper.

"I love you, too, Will."

She took one of his hands and started to walk towards her room. He stayed where he was. Her hold became looser until their fingers were just barely touching, their arms slightly outstretched.

That was the last he would see of Kate Sims.

* * *

Will had nothing to do for the evening except to wait for tomorrow. Wait for Kate, wait for their wedding, wait...Waiting never seemed so difficult.

"Oi," Jack said, snapping his fingers. "Romeo."

Will looked away from the lemon colored wallpaper and looked at Jack, who was laying on his back on his bed. Will was sitting on his bed though, and thinking.

"Ya want t' spend yer last night o' freedom sittin' in a 'otel thinkin' o' yer dearly beloved that's across th' floor from ya?"

He was sure that he didn't want to do any of the things that Jack would suggest.

"What do you propose?" Will asked.

"Strippers? A bar?"

Both were horrible ideas. Will couldn't imagine being with a woman dressed only in under things, nor did he care for getting drunk the night before his wedding.

"No, thank you," he replied, not trying to hide his disgust.

"Precisely why yer nicknames fit ya."

He was going to spend his last night unmarried in his hotel room looking at the lemon colored wallpaper and hearing about Jack's new woman. Will was perfectly fine with that.

The wedding would take place, then the reception...then the honeymoon. They would be sharing a bed.

Kate didn't...expect anything, did she? They were both pure. He didn't want to hurt her, either. This was going to be their first experience being intimate, he didn't want to ruin it. Jack would know what to do in this situation.

No. Will was not asking Jack a question involving intimacy with a woman.

This was Kate, though. He didn't want to hurt her. Will would do what he had to for her.

"Jack?" Will asked.

"Aye?" he asked.

He couldn't believe he was asking Jack Sparrow this question the night before marrying Kate Sims.

"How do you pleasure a woman?" he mumbled quickly.

"Come 'gain?" Jack asked, sitting up to look at him.

He felt his face turning red. Will reminded himself he didn't have to say this, but then tomorrow evening would come, and he would have Kate and not an idea how to make her first being intimate memorable.

"How do you pleasure a woman?" he repeated, only clearer.

Jack burst out in laughter. That was probably the last question that he expected Will to ask.

"Ye've come t' th' right person, lad," Jack said.

Yes, that's what concerned him.

* * *

This wasn't how Kate imagined her bachelorette party. She expected being at a loud club, getting drunk, maybe a male stripper for good luck. Instead, she was laying on her hotel bed with Melissa next to her, staring at a wall that reminded her of lemonade. Kate knew that they were both underage, and Melissa was pregnant, so there wasn't much that they could do. Gallivanting around clubs would be fun, but not a good idea.

She wanted tomorrow to come. Kate was ready to be married. She wanted to wear her dress and go down the aisle to meet Will. Kate wanted to be pronounced man and wife in front of their friends and family.

"How are you feeling?" Melissa asked.

Kate turned to her right to look at Melissa laying next to her. Melissa was on her side, her hand on her stomach. She had a small bump, although it would be hard to tell for others if she was pregnant or just gaining weight. Kate was thankful that she decided on an empire waist for her bridesmaid dress.

"Why?" Kate asked.

"I want to know when I get married what to feel."

Kate laughed. "A little bit of everything. Nervous that I'm making the worst decision of my life and I'll be going through divorce court in a few years. Excited because I love him and can't wait to start a life with him. Oh, and I'm stressing about everything, too. What if it rains tomorrow? What if something doesn't go right –"

"It won't rain, we've checked the forecast ten times today," Melissa interrupted. "Sunny and beautiful. And everything will go alright."

Right. Everything would go right.

She couldn't help but wonder if Elizabeth was nervous before she married Will. Well, what should have been their wedding, at least.

"You aren't going to go through divorce court," Melissa continued. "Will and Jada, remember?"

Yes, Kate did remember. That stuck with her when she wanted to break up with him because she thought that he still loved Elizabeth.

"You two have to be the cutest couple on Earth. I see the way he looks at you, Kate. He really loves you. He was worrying about you last night when you, er, had a little too much of your daiquiri."

This was news to her.

"Really?" Kate asked.

"Yeah," she smiled. "When you were too busy laughing at your own story about rock-climbing and your butt...or lack thereof."

Yes, Will was a sweetie. The best part? He was her sweetie.

Kate didn't want to keep thinking about the wedding. Her dinner might come back up if she dwelled on it. Her feet had a chill to them – she didn't want to think about how cold her feet would get tomorrow. She would talk about anything else with Melissa except the wedding.

Except why in the hell Melissa slept with Jack yesterday. All she knew was that Melissa owed him something – Kate didn't want to know what she owed him.

"Do you still like him?" Kate asked her.

"Jack?" Melissa asked. "No. He's my friend. I trust him, but I don't love him."

Kate laughed. "Do you know what happens when people trust Jack Sparrow, Melissa? People get screwed over."

"I trust him, though."

With that tone, there was no arguing that she did. Kate didn't think it was smart to trust him, though tempting at times.

"Do you think the baby's a boy or a girl?" Kate asked.

"If it's a girl, Jack wants to name it Pearl. For that reason alone I'm praying it's a boy." Melissa laughed. "Really, though, I don't know. As long as it's healthy." She smiled. "I'm getting excited for the baby. It's going to be tough, but it's going to be worth it."

Melissa would make a great mom. She only thing Kate would change was a better father. This was Jack – he wasn't mature enough to have a child.

"Kate?" Melissa asked.

"Yes?"

"Be the godmother?"

Kate felt a lump in her throat as she smiled. "Mel! Yes, of course I'll be the godmother!" Sitting up, Kate pulled her into a hug.

She realized this was going to be one of the last times that she would see her before she left for New York. They would next meet around the holidays.

Kate didn't know why, but she started crying. She had no reason to cry. Kate hardly ever cried. She was just asked to be a godmother and was getting married tomorrow.

Come to think of it, those were pretty legit reasons for crying.

"I love you, Melrose," Kate sniffled. "I'm going to miss you."

"Kate!" Melissa said, hugging her tightly. "Why are you crying? This is supposed to be a happy day! No girl cries at her own bachelorette party!"

"I'm so nervous for tomorrow and I'm happy that you want me to be a godmother and I'm just thinking about leaving you and the baby behind and how awful I feel that I'm moving to New York because I'm selfish and I'm scared because it's just me and Will in New York and – oh, God, I'm scared to death, Melissa."

This was not Melissa's job to make her feel better for tomorrow. Kate just needed a good cry – if she knew that it was coming, she would have said that she needed to tell Will something and gone down to the beach and cry by herself.

"Katie," Melissa said soothingly. "I was wondering when it was going to catch up with you. You try too hard to be strong that you just crack."

She was wondering?

"You knew?" Kate asked.

"Of course I knew. I thought you would work it out yourself and didn't want to talk to me."

Kate pulled away. "I didn't talk to you because I didn't want to burden you. You found out you were pregnant, what kind of a person would I be if I used you as my therapist when you're going through the shock of your life?"

"Kate, I've known you for twelve years. You know that I always be here to talk when you need me to."

"You should know that I'll always listen to you, too. Why did you talk to me more about the baby? This is obviously a huge thing in your life and I feel like I've heard none of it!"

"The same reason you didn't tell me."

They were square. Of course they were, they were Kate and Melissa.

Kate wiped her eyes and sniffled. God, she was a pathetic crier.

"I'll be there for you on Thursday when you take the U-Haul to New York," Melissa said. "I'm going to say goodbye to you one last time. And if I see one tear from you, Katherine, you can't go to New York."

Kate couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. Kate, the one who hardly ever cried, had just bawled her eyes out like a baby. Melissa was the one comforting her, saying that it would be alright.

"You're going to be a good mom, Melissa," she said.

She smiled and hugged her again. "I hope I will be."

After that cry, Kate felt better. She wasn't as worried about the wedding tomorrow. She was glad she was going to have the privilege of being the godmother to Melissa's baby. Kate knew she was going to have to deal with leaving Melissa behind, each of them starting new lives like the adults they were. There was nothing to worry about with it being only her and Will in New York. She wasn't so scared anymore.

Kate still wanted Melissa in New York, though.

It was so hard for her to believe that this was her last night as a single girl. Her bachelorette life was done at eighteen!

Kate looked at the clock on the night stand. It's glowing green numbers said 8:30. Just an hour ago she and Will exchanged final words before the ceremony tomorrow.

"Twenty-two hours until I'm married," she said to herself.

Right after she thought that a cry had solved her cold feet, she felt her feet getting chilly.

Great. Now she couldn't even speak of the wedding without a quicker heartbeat and nerves rising in her.

"And you are going to feel so happy that you married him," Melissa said. "Kate, you should feel so lucky you found a guy like him. He's the sweetest guy you'll ever meet, he loves you...and it doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes."

Kate smiled. Melissa was right.

"And you are going to call me one day after you've had your genetically perfect children and say that I was right," Melissa smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Kate said.

She was sure Melissa was right. Kate was just getting worried over nothing. She needed to relax.

Melissa turned on the clock radio. Lifehouse's "First Time" filled the room.

"It's your last night of freedom, Kate," Melissa said. "You can choose to sit and worry about things that will never happen, or you can get up and dance."

How many times had Melissa been right this evening?

Kate stood on the bed and started dancing. The lyrics had never fit her better. This was the last time they would be alone before she left for New York. This was her bachelorette party. She was not going to wallow in her fears!

Through the entire song, she couldn't get one person out of her head. She wondered if that person was listening to this song right now, too.

_We've both been looking for something / That we're afraid to find / It's easier to be broken / It's easier to hide._

_Looking at you, holding my breath / For once in my life, I'm scared to death / I'm taking a chance letting you inside._

_Feeling alive all over again / As deep as the sky, under my skin / Like being in love, she says, for the first time / Maybe I'm wrong, But I'm feeling right / Where I belong with you tonight / Like being in love to feel for the first time._

_The world that I see inside you / Waiting to come to life / Waking me up to dreaming / Reality in your eyes._

_Looking at you, holding my breath / For once in my life, I'm scared to death / I'm taking a chance, Letting you inside._

_I'm feeling alive all over again / As deep as the sky under my skin / Like being in love, she says, for the first time / Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right / Where I belong with you tonight / Like being in love to feel for the first time._

_We're crashing / Into the unknown / We're lost in this / But it feels like home._

_I'm feeling alive all over again / As deep as the sky under my skin / Like being in love, she says, for the first time / Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right / Where I belong with you tonight / Like being in love to feel for the first time.

* * *

_

Jack was asleep. Will wasn't. How could he sleep? His wedding was tomorrow, the single most important day of his life, along with the birth of his children that he would have someday with his bride.

Even with the pitch black room, he couldn't find sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before he should have gotten married to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Kate. They were so similar. Perhaps meeting her wasn't just by chance. Perhaps they had known each other in a past life.

The idea of her being Elizabeth in a past life was ridiculous. The ridiculous sometimes proved to not be so ridiculous, though. He could picture her doing everything Elizabeth did. Envoking parlay to be taken to Captain Barbossa. Agreeing to marry someone else to save his life. Holding Beckett at gunpoint to sign the letters of marque. Doing what she had to do to save a crew and herself.

He rolled over again and looked at the clock. It said 12:00.

* * *

Eighteen hours and thirty minutes.

Melissa was asleep. Kate wasn't. She felt like she was living in a bizarre, but wonderful dream. Any moment she expected to wake up and see that she was about to go antique shopping with Melissa and, on a whim, pick up those medallions.

She rolled over and looked at the clock. 12:00.

She was ready.

* * *

**Long chapter, huh? The wedding chapter (next chapter!) is going to be long, too. Except you'll probably have to wait a week for that. Darn school. Hopefully, if I don't get much homework. If I don't, I'll be able to write it somewhat quickly. We'll see. I still have to finish my independent reading book for English and write a paper on that and do _another _paper for ****Antigone****. Ugh.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! That was fun to have Kate have a mini-breakdown. She needed it. Beckett would say she needs to talk about her feelings with Will more. But, fear not, Melissa was there as her therapist. Dr. Lewes...hmm...she's smarter than she seems sometimes. Is someone doing some growing up like they promised?**

**And how will Jack feel being dressed like a penguin for the ceremony? This is Jack – excuse me, **_**Captain**_** Jack Sparrow – I'm sure he's not too pleased doing this for a whelp.**

**What sort of hilarity will ensue pre-wedding (and, alright, at the reception?)? Our favorite pirate's at a party, and he **_**has**_** seen "Wedding Crashers"... And what about Melissa wearing green? She hates green with a passion.**

**Alright. Really. That's it. I'm done with my babbling.**


	48. I Do

Chapter Forty-Eight

I Do

**Yes, it's a very a long chapter. I didn't want to tease you guys with this and have it be cut in two. I might tease you with when Baby Lewes is born. Because really, is anything more dramatic that a baby being born? Of course not! And you all know how much I love to tease you. LOL.**

**Oh, and I could get this up so quick because I was home sick on Monday. Grr...I hate being a girl sometimes.**

**I've waited to write this for six months. I think you all will like this chapter!**

**I hope you're dressed in your suits and cocktail dresses, you're about to attend the wedding of Will and Kate!

* * *

**

Somewhere between the time that Will looked at the clock at midnight and heard the ocean lapping through the slightly open door to the balcony, he had fallen asleep. The time was 5:59.

Today was the day he'd get married to Kate. He had thought about their final kiss last night, her face, and her eyes right before she turned away to go to her room.

Will was ready. In twelve and a half house, Kate would be his wife. They would be exchanging rings. While gazing into her eyes, he would say how much she truly meant to him, promising that til death do they part.

He got up and went to the balcony. The sun was just rising over the ocean. This was beautiful here. Perhaps they could move to Florida someday.

A walk on the beach before Jack woke up would be a good idea, he decided, just to think about today.

* * *

Kate woke up to bright sunshine the next morning and Melissa singing "Here Comes the Bride". She was opening the curtains that overlooked the bright Atlantic Ocean.

Kate remembered instantly that today was the day she was going to be married. She felt excited, then started to feel sick with nerves.

"Good morning to you, too," Kate said, stumbling out of bed in a blue chemise.

"Kate Sims! I have nine and a half hours left to say that name. Oh, my gosh. Can you believe it? It's the big day!" Melissa said.

Nine and a half hours? It was 9:00. She was thankful that Melissa let her sleep in. Kate hadn't gone to bed until around 1:00, she guessed. She was up with nerves until the wee hours. She had CBS – Chronic Bride Syndrome. Today she would be getting the worst symptom – cold feet. A warm bath wouldn't be the cure, sadly.

"How are you doing?" Kate asked, stepping onto the balcony with Melissa.

"I am just fine. It's a great day, isn't it? Love's in the air, it's sunny, and my morning sickness is gone for good!"

Lucky her. She was stress free today. Maybe she would relax with Melissa's cheery demeanor.

"And how are _you_ doing, bride?" she asked.

"I feel like _I'm_ going to be the one with morning sickness."

She had a feeling this wouldn't just be in the morning. It would extend into the afternoon. She wouldn't be able to eat anything before the wedding because she was sure it would come right back up.

"You're not making me too eager to rush and out and find a husband," Melissa said.

Kate probably didn't look like she was too excited about getting married. She wanted to – she was just getting the regular cold feet.

"No, I-I'm okay," she stuttered. "I'll be fine."

Melissa laughed and hugged her. "Oh, Kate, only you could be this nervous over something you want so bad."

Melissa was right again. She had wanted this day to be here for so long. Kate had wanted to marry Will so badly. And now she was getting cold feet?

She smiled and felt all her nerves start to leave her body. "I'm not nervous."

* * *

Jack woke up to the door to their hotel room closing. He saw Will walking in with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He looked like he was thinking – other than that, his whelpish emotions weren't showing.

"Ravished th' bride, eh?" Jack asked. "Ya know, it's bad luck fer th' groom t' see th' bride b'fore the weddin'."

Will sat on his own bed across from Jack. "I was just out. On the beach. Thinking."

Why didn't he have his camcorder with? That's right, Melissa _had_ to be the one holding on to it. He would have given anything to tape this – William Turner, getting cold feet before his wedding.

"Ye're, eh...not _nervous_, are ya, Will?" Jack asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"No! O-Of course not."

Oh, yes, he was.

"I think ye are," Jack pointed out.

Will rolled his eyes, then he said, "It's a wedding, Jack, and I'm the groom. You wouldn't understand."

"O' course I wouldn't! I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow!"

Thank God he wouldn't know what being a groom felt like.

* * *

Kate and Melissa went down for their hair, nail, and make-up appointments at 3:00, which was on the first level of the Trump. Melissa's blonde hair was curled – Melissa thought that she looked beautiful. This reminded her of getting ready for prom. They had gone to the hair salon together and gotten their hair pinned and curled. They had their make-up done and had short nails applied to their fingernails. It felt great to be pampered. Kate's hair was half up and wavy.

Before the appointment, they sat in their hotel room and talked. Melissa saw that she became more excited for the wedding as the day continued – she wasn't sure if she could put up with her if she decided to have a panic attack several hours before the nuptials.

She hated facing the reality of this being their last time alone before Kate left for New York. She had been able to fool herself that she wasn't moving. Now she was realizing that she really was leaving. They promised to stay in touch through e-mailing constantly and instant messaging when they had the chance.

They left the salon, hair, make-up, and nails done, too. It was 4:00 by the time that they got back to the room. There was only two and a half hours before Kate was going down the aisle.

"How are you now?" Melissa asked.

"Fine," she said, taking a seat on a chair by the window. Melissa pulled up a chair, too, and sat next to her. A part of the beach was beginning to be closed off. Chairs were being put in their places, and the "altar", which was four brown columns that looked like palm tree trunks, was draped on top by a long, white drape, flowing down both sides not facing the audience.

An hour and a half went by. Kate's mother came in and hugged both of them, making sure that Melissa remembered to be down to usher people at 6:00 to their seats, and that Kate would need to be in the lobby heading to the beach with her father at 6:25.

Kate would be in the room by herself for the last thirty minutes before the wedding. Melissa could only imagine what she would be thinking about and how the nerves would be pumping through her. She was glad she wouldn't be in the room then, truthfully.

When 5:30 arrived, Melissa put on her bridesmaid dress. It was green. She hated green. It looked nice on her, she admitted. It wasn't a lime green or a vomit green, it was a celadon green – quite lovely, if you don't hate green.

Kate zipped Melissa's dress in the back. Kate had her wedding dress on, unzipped as well. Melissa zipped her up in the back. She also helped put her veil on.

By the time they were done getting dressed, it was time for Melissa to go. There was a silence in the room that was unfamiliar between best friends. It was the awkward parting of a goodbye; a "when will I really see you again?" goodbye.

"I have to go," Melissa said.

Kate nodded. "I'll see you at the reception."

Why was Melissa feeling a lump in her throat? She wasn't going to start crying, was she?

"Goodbye," Kate said. "Thank you everything, Mel."

Everything. She was saying thank you for the time that she bought her an ice cream from the ice cream man in fourth grade after she cut her knee while tripping on the jump rope. She was saying thank you for being there when she drove off to her house in rebellion last year after she and her parents had a fight and let her stay there for the night. She was saying thank you for taking her back when she made the worst mistakes that a person could make.

She was saying thank-you for always being there for her.

Gosh, she was so close to crying.

"You're welcome," she said, hugging her tightly before leaving to usher people to the Sims-Turner wedding.

* * *

Jack hated his tuxedo. The bowtie around his neck was tight. Why would someone want to wear one of these?

Will was looking relaxed. Jack wondered if he was nervous. Best not to ask him, though. He was about to give a talk to the groom just minutes before his wedding – most likely the only serious one he would ever give him.

"Ya look good, Turner," Jack said to him.

Will did. He could clean up good. His hair was down, and he didn't look half bad in a tux.

"Thank you," Will said.

He was starting to sense his nerves. Well, here goes nothing – his first and only heart-to-heart with the eunuch. He was laying all the cards down on the table, then taking them back and never showing them again.

"Don't let 'er go," Jack said. "She loves ya, lad. I see the way she looks at ya. There's ye 'n' only ye in that 'ead o' 'er's. She's mad fer ya. I know yer mad fer 'er, too."

Jack couldn't believe that he was getting vulnerable. It was in the eunuch's best interest, though.

"She's committed t' ya. She doesn't want anyone else. So, let 'er go...'n' ye'll regret it th' rest o' yer days."

He felt like such a whelp. This was not him. The real whelp needed to hear it, though. He needed to hear the truth.

"Thank you, Jack," he said.

Jack patted his shoulder before leaving. "No cold feet!"

* * *

Melissa was nearly completely down the hallway to the elevators and still had that lump in her throat. Kate was getting married and leaving her. She was worried that they would drift apart after all these years. They Kate and Melissa though – it was impossible for them to.

"Thirty whole minutes 'til Romeo 'n' Juliet are reunited," an oh-so familiar voice said behind Melissa.

Kate turned around in her bare feet to see Jack walking behind her. She burst out laughing when she saw that he looked like a penguin with dread locks, rather than the best man in a tuxedo.

"Oh, Jack," she laughed, walking next to him once he caught up with her. "Has Will told you that you bear an uncanny resemblance to a penguin?"

"No, but I'm sure th' lad'd take full responsibility o' it," he said, pressing the down button on the elevator.

"I'm sure Will looks pretty classy in a tux."

"Ah, 'e does," Jack said. "And Miss Sims? She looks lovely?"

"As always," Melissa said.

"'N' ye, saint," Jack said, the elevator door opening.

Both stepped inside. Melissa leaned against the cool, polished wood of the elevator.

"Ya look quite ravishin' yerself, if I may say so."

Melissa smiled. He would always call her ravishing when she looked nice – that was just him.

"Thank you," she said.

Silence as they rode down the elevator. They walked through the lobby together (she felt silly doing it in bare feet and a dress – Jack, however, maintained his usual swagger, surprise, surprise). A few people that looked at them said something about a wedding softly.

They went by a special area by the bar (she could practically hear Jack's thoughts about the reception and a bar) and took the elevator down so they wouldn't dirty their clothes. The elevator stopped shortly (it was only a ten foot distance) and they got out. It felt great to walk barefoot on a beach in a dress. The sand was so soft – sink-your-toes-into-it sand.

Jack went to the right side (Will's side) of the seating area. Melissa went to Kate's side to escort people. She noticed that the aisle was lit with candles to make a romantic walking path, sprinkled with white roses.

Melissa couldn't deny it, this was beautiful. It was romantic, it was sunset – it just screamed "Will and Kate".

"Ya 'ere fer th' wench or th' whelp?" Jack asked a short, plump woman with grey, curly hair. Melissa recognized her, she was Kate's grandmother.

The woman frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"Kate or Will," Jack smiled.

"Kate's this way, Isabella," Melissa said helpfully to the grandmother. "Your son and Jordana will be sitting in front. You can join them."

The grandmother cast an evil glare at Jack, then walked away. Melissa hit him on the arm. "Jack, that was Kate's grandma!"

Jack chuckled sheepishly. "Oops."

One thing was certain: this wedding and reception would be memorable.

* * *

Only fifteen more minutes until he would be able to see Kate, Will told himself, going down the hallway to the elevator. He had waited more than two months for this moment, to finally see Kate in her wedding dress, walking down the aisle to him. That moment would soon get here.

Fifteen minutes had never seemed so long, he realized as he went down the elevator. He was ready to be married to her. Will was ready to call Kate his wife.

He realized that all through the day he hadn't been able to stop thinking of the wedding. It was too good for the day to be actually here – surely the wedding couldn't _really_ be happening, could it?

Will was still surprised from Jack bearing his true feelings about the wedding. He had confessed they were meant to be. It was his form of a blessing. Although Jack never got vulnerable – they must be important to him.

Kate, anyway, was.

He stepped out of the elevator and went down to the beach, where nearly all the guests were seated. He went to the altar and started talking to the man conducting the ceremony, Bishop Gordon.

As the ceremony drew closer, he realized how fast his heart was beating. Perhaps Jack was right; perhaps he really was nervous.

Wonderful. Just as the ceremony was about to start, he began to realize that he was nervous.

* * *

Kate had five minutes before she had to leave. She sat on the edge of her bed in a room of silence, looking into the bouquet of white and green flowers clutched in her hand. These were her last moments that she wouldn't have a wedding ring on her finger. She was to be married in just ten minutes. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it would jump out of her chest and go onto the carpet.

She was wearing something old – her diamond stud earrings. Something new – her wedding dress. Something borrowed – her mother's pearl necklace. Something blue – a small, blue flower the size of her pinky nail tucked inside her hair, kept hidden by her veil.

An eerie calm came over her as each minute passed. Suddenly she wasn't so scared. Her heart slowed down. Kate realized she was ready. After everything they had been through, all the fights and tears, the two proposals, and the break-ups, they were ready. They were meant to be together. She loved him with all her heart and knew that life would be useless if he wasn't in it.

6:25 came. She stood up, holding the flowers, and left to be married.

* * *

Will looked at the sixty people that came for their wedding. Thirty-seven came for Kate, and twenty-three came for Will. Nearly all were his coworkers.

The guests were talking amongst themselves, letting Will have his time to think. Was Kate on her way to the beach yet? Was she nervous? Had she been up past midnight like he had, thinking about the wedding? Did she have second thoughts at all?

He looked out at the guests in his section. His father was in the first row. Mixed were his coworkers and Beckett. He wondered if Beckett was pleased to finally go to a wedding of one of his clients.

In Kate's section was many people he didn't know, nearly all who were his soon-to-be in-laws, he guessed. He knew Jordana, his soon-to-be mother-in-law, was very kind. Will couldn't say the same for his soon-to-be father-in-law.

Down the aisle, he saw Jack and Melissa linking arms. This must be it. Kate must be going down the elevator to the beach right now with her father. They were probably in the elevator by the bar right now.

His heart started to speed up. This was it. They were going to get married now. He could hardly believe it. It was too good to be true!

Melissa looked behind her, then started walking with Jack down the aisle. Jack stood near behind Will just like Thursday at the rehearsal. Melissa went over to Kate's side behind an empty space.

"Ya nervous?" Jack asked him quietly.

Leave it to him to ask if he was nervous moments before Kate was to walk down the aisle.

"No," he replied.

The lone violinist, in Will's corner, started playing Pachebel's "Canon". The guests turned around to look at the end of the aisle. He could see Kate and her father coming down the rose-covered aisle, arm in arm.

Stunning. Angelic. Undeniably beautiful. Those words were understatements to what Kate looked liked. Her dress was long and white, just like an angel. It was an empire waist that seemed to glide over her. Her veil was long, nearly touching the floor behind her. She had a smile that he had never seen on her before. Kate had never looked so happy before.

He hoped that he wasn't just staring at her. Will smiled back. When they both smiled at each other, nothing had been more clear in his life. They were meant to be together, til death do they part. He had never felt more in love until that moment.

* * *

Kate couldn't stop smiling. This was a dream. A wonderful, blissful dream that she was sure she would wake up from soon. She prayed that this wasn't a dream. This was everything she ever wanted: her friends and family seeing her get married to the man she loved most.

Kate went to the altar, handed her bouquet of flowers to Melissa, and stood next to him. They faced each other and held hands. Next to her, she heard Bishop Gordon's voice.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony."

All Kate could do was smile. She never wanted to wake up from this dream. Kate could hardly believe that she was getting married. Her fears last night and this morning seemed absurd.

"Love is patient," Bishop Gordon continued, "love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

So true. Love was pure. Love is what she felt every moment of every day for Will.

The ceremony continued. While Bishop Gordon talked, Kate remembered there were days that she dreaded planning this. It was so much work in two months. Sleep wouldn't come easy some nights. She remembered Will telling her the number of days until their wedding each day.

Kate had never felt more grateful for anything before. She was grateful that Will was such a forgiving person. She was grateful for Beckett for helping them when they needed it. She was grateful for whoever brought the medallion in to Annie's Antiques – and to whoever thought it was a worthless piece of jewelry.

It was amazing how happy love could make you feel. When she had walked down the aisle, she felt like she was gliding, walking on air. Love was amazing.

"Will the couple please exchange rings?"

Will dug the rings out of his coat pocket and handed his to her.

He took her left hand and looked into her eyes. "With this ring I thee wed and with all my love I thee endow."

He slipped the diamond-filled band onto her finger. She looked down at her hand. Her wedding ring was finally on her.

She took his left hand and looked into his eyes. "With this ring I thee wed and with all my love I thee endow."

She slipped the silver band onto his finger. They were bonded now. They would never be apart. Wherever they went, all they had to do was look at their ring and think of the other.

Love had no end. Neither did a circle. Their love would last. It would last until the day they died.

"William James Turner," Bishop Gordon said, "do you take Katherine Marie Sims to be your wife to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor, and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health? And forsaking all others, be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Will smiled.

Kate couldn't help but smile back.

"Katherine Marie Sims," Bishop Gordon said, "do you take William James Turner to be your husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor, and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health? And forsaking all others, be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?"

She was going to make the biggest promise she would ever make in her life. It meant more than those late-night promises while they were patching things up back in June. This was the most important one she would ever make, yet it was only two words.

"I do," she smiled.

"Does anyone have any objections as to why these two should not be wed?" Bishop Gordon asked the guests.

Kate could only hear the lapping of the ocean as she gazed into Will's eyes. No one objected their marriage.

She remembered how angry her father was when she discovered that she had gotten engaged so young. Kate knew that at the end of the day, all that mattered to her father was that she was happy. And she was happy, more happy than she thought a person could be. Will had done that. Life seemed like nothing before she met him. Now life would be a blessing.

She never wanted to let him go. She didn't want to leave his side. Kate wanted to stay with him until the end of time.

It was the moment that was building between them since the moment they met. They were about to be pronounced man and wife.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Florida, I now pronounce you man and wife," Bishop Gordon said. "You may kiss the bride."

Will kissed her passionately, unlike any other kiss that he had given her before. She put her arms around his neck.

Time seemed to stand still as they kissed. Nothing else mattered to her. She was finally married to Will.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Turner," Will said softly to her.

Chills ran up down her spine as she said that unforgettable line. He hadn't called her that before their wedding, just like he said that he wouldn't.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the new Mr. and Mrs. Turner!" Bishop Gordon said.

She turned to see Melissa beaming. Jack was Jack – he grinned at the two of them. Her mother was crying in the first row, her father misty-eyed. Bootstrap, in Will's first row, was beaming. They walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm. It felt more and more dreamlike to her with each step she took. She saw her bawling grandmother in the second, tissue in her hand. Beckett was on Will's side in the fourth row, clapping, even.

Jacques was busy taking pictures of them as they walked down the aisle. Kate had never felt more complete in her life. She wanted a bottle to capture this feeling – she wasn't sure when she would feel it again.

_This can't be happening,_ she thought happily. _I can't be married. I can't be walking back down the aisle with Will. I really can't be this happy!_

But yet she was, and she knew it. She was a very happy newlywed, walking down the aisle with her new husband, beaming.

They escaped to an area by the elevator to let the guests take the stairs back up to the reception. He kissed her hungrily on the lips once they were out of view.

"I love you," she breathed.

"Love, my wife, does not begin to describe what I feel towards you," he said softly, a hand on either cheek of her's. "I have loved you for 107 days, and I shall love you for the rest of mine."

She had the most perfect husband. No one was better than he was.

It felt odd to say that had a husband. She was a wife. She was married. She loved to think that, though. She didn't want to stop thinking about it.

This was just like the past life that she thought they had together. He was her husband, and she was his wife.

And they loved each other very much.

* * *

"I thought that was a great ceremony," Melissa said to Jack, sitting on one of the white wooden chairs in Will's first row while the guests filed out. "It was very Turner."

"Were ya gonna cry?" Jack teased her. He had looked over at Melissa time-to-time, she looked like she was watching a romantic movie, like "The Notebook".

"No," she said. "Well...maybe a little."

Jack was glad the ceremony was done. Now he could see what sort of girls there were. Someone as attractive as Kate was bound to have some attractive female cousins.

"How're ye 'n' baby doin'?" Jack asked.

Melissa smiled. "Baby and I are okay. Thanks for asking." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "This means a lot to them, Jack. They're never going to forget that you were the best man that looked like a penguin with dreadlocks."

My, wasn't Mel nice?

"How heartwarming."

There were a few beats of silence before Melissa said, "Remember when I told you that I wanted to get married?"

How could he forget?

"This couldn't be us," she said. "I couldn't be seven, eight months pregnant walking down the aisle with you as the groom."

"It's 'cause I wouldn't show up."

"Good to know," she laughed. "I'm glad we broke up. You're a great friend, but I could not spend another day with you."

Harsh today! This was the day for laying all cards on the table, though.

"I couldn't spend another day with your banshee-ness every time we fought."

She smiled. "That's fair."

* * *

For about ten minutes, the group of four posed for pictures. Jack and Melissa left to join the reception, then Kate and Will posed for pictures for ten minutes by themselves. After all pictures were taken, they went to the pool to join the reception. It was nearly 8:00, Will guessed, judging by the sky and how long the picture-taking went.

When the newlyweds joined the reception, there was a round of applause. Kate beamed again – she was used to attention. Will remained a bit more shy, but equally happy.

After Kate took off her veil, they went to the dance floor and danced to the first song, "You're Beautiful". This was the first song they danced to together. They kissed for the first time during this song. There were so many memories with this – plus, those two words described Kate perfectly.

After the father-daughter dance, they sat down for their dinner, which was salmon with a chocolate desert on the side with a flute of champagne. The wedding party sat on a long, white couch – very modern.

Eventually, Jack was egged to do the best man speech. He stood up and held his champagne flute – his second, Will saw.

"Ah, Wench 'n' Whelp," Jack began, "united as one."

The group laughed, although they probably didn't understand. It wasn't the most appropriate way to open a speech.

"I met Will last summer by...unorthodox means. Th' lad was...reserved. Didn't like me at first. Hated me, come t' think o' it. 'E warmed up t' me. I 'elped 'im get somethin' 'e wanted."

This was not the type of speech to make at a wedding, Will was sure.

"Katie, 'ere, 'ated me from the beginnin'. I got 'er in some 'ot water, she's 'ated me e'er since."

Most definitely not the sort of speech to make.

"They're meant fer each other, though. Nothin' keeps 'em apart. These two love each other very much, even if th' other one does something incredibly _stupid_. In fact, I think just by watchin' 'em grow, I've figured out th' key to a good relationship: a short memory."

The group laughed again.

"Will 'n' Kate Turner, best o' luck t' ya. May th' love last. Cheers."

"Cheers!" everyone said in unison, clinking glasses.

It wasn't long before people started chanting for a kiss between the newlyweds. More than obliged to kiss his new wife again, he did so in front of the guests.

What a wonderful day.

* * *

The instant that "Candyman" by Christina Aguilera came on the sound system, Kate was led to the dance floor by Jack, despite the fact that she was talking to her new father-in-law, Bootstrap. Why this song – and why now?

"Ye're comin' with me, love," Jack said, leading her away.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "I was talking to Bootstrap. How much champagne have you had?"

"Four flutes. Now, ya obviously don't remember th' importance of this song."

Apparently she didn't.

"The cabin?" he grinned

That smug bastard. She hated him for bringing it up. On her wedding, no less!

Now she remembered. She was outside watching her dance competition where her school was doing the jive to "Candyman".

He took one hand of her's and held it while he put on hand on her back. She put one of her's on his shoulder. Oh, and lucky him: he got closer to her than he ever would again.

"You know, your wedding speech was accurate," she said, dancing with him. "I do hate you."

He smiled. "O' course. Ye're Kate Turner and I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow. We 'ave t' 'ate each other."

They did have to. Yet he could be a good man at the same time and make himself tolerable with her.

"I've never agreed more," she said, a smile tugging at her lips.

* * *

Will was dancing with Melissa to "I Hope You Dance" by Leann Womack. Melissa noticed he was a good dancer.

She was happy for Kate – she had never seen Kate this happy, and she had known her for twelve years. Kate found herself a good guy. The chance of them breaking up was zero – this would be the Turners that, when they were grey and old, would be celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary wherever they would be – knowing them, it could be anywhere.

"Thank you," Melissa said. "You've really made her happy."

Will smiled. "You have to thank Kate, too. She's made me happy."

A stab of sadness entered her. She would be able to tell her that on Wednesday, the last day they would see each other before New York – they wouldn't be able to talk by themselves tonight. The reception was nearly done.

"I'll tell her that," she said. "I hope you have a great time in New York. I-I mean, I know you will. It's because it's with Kate, of course you're going to enjoy it. You're her husband."

She talked too much. Shocking thing was that she didn't have any champagne.

"We will. Kate and I will write."

A letter wouldn't be enough. They wouldn't see each other for two or three months!

"I'll be looking forward to it," she said.

And that disgusting lump in her throat that she got whenever she talked about Kate leaving appeared in her throat again.

* * *

Kate rested her head against Will's chest as the final song, "This I Swear" played. Hardly anyone was at the reception, except for Bootstrap, Jack, Melissa, and her parents. They danced slowly. This was the last song of their wedding.

And by God, did it strike a chord in her. The lyrics fit this day so perfectly.

The day was perfect. Nothing went wrong. The nerves were just a memory now. The wedding was a high she couldn't get over. And the honeymoon was just about to begin.

The song ended, and they broke apart. Holding hands, they went to hug and say goodbye to the five remaining guests.

"Thank you so much for being here with us," she told them. "You don't know what it means to us."

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world," Melissa said. "It was a beautiful wedding."

"Thank you," Will said.

"Mom and Dad, we'll see you Wednesday," Kate said. "Jack, Melissa, Bootstrap, our house, Thursday morning?"

Melissa's eyes grew sad at that, but she tried to brighten them up with a smile. "Of course."

"Great! We'll see you then."

"Mel, 'ow bout we go t' our room?" Jack suggested. "Th' flight's early, 'n' I _know_ ye'll make me go two hours b'fore th' plane leaves."

"We'll have to leave around 8:00 if we want to catch the plane," Kate's father agreed. "We'll see you Wednesday evening, though."

She smiled. "Thanks. We'll see you then." She waved to them before they went back to their rooms. They went back to their table to get their room card and her veil, then went to catch an elevator, holding hands.

They went into the elevator and pressed the button to go up to the twentieth floor. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him as soon as the door closed. He kissed her back, his hands on her back, backing her against the wall.

Kate realized that, beside the brief time they had talked after the wedding, she hadn't gotten a moment alone with him. She'd have four days, though. That more than made up for it.

The elevator dinged open. She prayed that no one was waiting for an elevator as they broke away. Thankfully, no one was.

"Room 2020 is right –" she began before Will picked her up. She giggled and put her arms around his neck for extra support. He went down the hall to the room. Kate put the card in the slot and opened the door. He carried her in, the door shutting behind him, and put her down on the green bed. She pulled back the covers on the bed.

Kate noticed there was a bottle of champagne in the corner, near the bathroom. The last thing she needed was more champagne. She had a flute tonight (although she wasn't drunk at all off one flute) and two nights ago she got drunk from a daiquiri. Kate was going to stay away from alcohol for a few days.

"Well aren't you the gentleman," she said, sliding his coat off. "Carrying the lady over the threshold?"

"It's for good luck," he said.

She put his coat on the ground. Kate undid his bowtie and kissed him. "Does that mean you'll take the liberty of carrying me over the threshold when we arrive in New York?"

"It's good luck," he repeated, smiling.

Kate unbuttoned his shirt and let that fall to the floor. She kissed him some more – she never wanted to stop kissing him. Kate was so deeply in love with him. She felt like she had known him forever. Could it really be that they had only met three months ago?

She unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the floor. He drew her close as he unzipped her dress.

"I don't think..." he kissed her, "that I told you..." another kiss, "how beautiful you look."

She kissed him hungrily. "You looked quite handsome, if I may say so."

They were surrounded by a pile of clothes, ones that they would never wear again, but keep forever.

Her heart started pounding beneath her white bra, mostly in excitement, but a tinge of fear. What if she got pregnant like Melissa? She was on birth control, it was a very low chance.

No. She was not going to think about getting pregnant. Not now, not tonight.

That tinge of fear disappeared.

Both got on the under the covers. Will kissed her, his hands snaking to her back to unhook her bra. He unhooked it and put it on the ground next to their bed. Somewhere – which side she wasn't sure. He ran his hand up her thigh. Chills ran up her spine. She had never wanted anyone more than she wanted him then.

He took off her underwear, and in return, she took off his.

She soon realized that her body now belonged to him, her husband. Kate wouldn't have it belong to anyone else. She had given him something so important; she knew that he would take only the best care of it.

He tenderly kissed her neck, then her shoulders, then her chest, then her lips. She didn't want this day to end.

Today had been nothing but a whirlwind of emotions. She was scared to death at the beginning of the day, ecstatic when she finally saw Will while walking down the aisle, and now, the most sacred kind of love that a person can have for someone else.

She wouldn't have it any other way.

Kate wasn't sure how much time they spent together. It could have been a few minutes, it could have been an hour. Time didn't seem to matter. All she knew was that she loved him and never wanted to stop loving him.

The scarcer her breath became, the more amazing she felt. Will's hands roamed her body, and she was realizing how she fit against him.

Kate let a cry of pleasure escape from her. Will looked at her, concerned, his brown eyes wide. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

He had done anything but hurt her.

"No," she said.

He smiled and brushed a lock of hair away that was sticking to her forehead. "I haven't realized how much I loved you until right now."

Kate knew what making love truly was. One felt like they loved the person so much, that there was no other way to prove it. Their love grew more and more for each other.

"Neither have I."

Kate knew at that moment that she could never not love William Turner.


	49. Don't Be the Parent

Chapter Forty-Nine

Don't Be the Parent

* * *

Melissa zipped up her black suitcase on top of her bed. She attempted to – zipping it at the end was hard.

It was hard to believe today was her last day in Florida. She had loved it – the beach was beautiful and relaxing, something that she wasn't sure how often she would feel in the coming months with the baby and college.

"Why'd ya bring so many clothes?" Jack asked Melissa, in an attempt to zip her suitcase.

"Because I'm a girl."

There. It was zipped up.

She saw that the clock read 8:00. They had to go to the lobby and catch the bus for the airport.

Melissa wouldn't be sleeping during the flight. She had fallen asleep quickly in her bed after they went back to their hotel room. It was a long day – the wedding reception went until 9:00 and she had gotten up early the day before. They were so busy yesterday with Will and Kate's wedding that she had hardly gotten the chance to relax.

She smoothed her polka-dot tunic after she got the suitcase off the bed and on the ground to wheel it. Her clothes had been tighter lately, and she started switching to a size five jeans and looser tops.

That reminded her: this week she would find out if their child was a boy or girl. She was excited, but growing a bit more nervous at the same time. She would be a mother in six more months. Her second trimester started next week, even!

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready," he replied.

She looked once more around their room at the Trump, the same one that she and Kate had shared the nights before. This was probably the nicest hotel she would ever stay in. It was a great vacation, but life would go back to usual for them. She'd be back at college tomorrow and work, as well as Jack.

They went down to the lobby, where the same bus that brought them to the hotel was waiting for them. The two gave their suitcases to the driver, who put it under the bus. They boarded the bus and took a seat towards the middle.

And so began the journey back to Minnesota – hopefully Cutler Beckett free.

* * *

Kate woke up to the beating of Will's heart. She realized her head was on his chest. Kate felt his hand on the small of her back, half cuddling and half protecting her, even in his sleep.

It was wonderful to finally wake up in his arms. Kate remembered falling asleep like this – eventually. She was still so happy from the wedding that she couldn't fall asleep for a while. He hadn't fallen asleep for a while either. They had remained silent, cuddling.

Kate lifted her head off his chest and saw that he was awake. She wondered how long he had been awake and smiled.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," he smiled back.

She kissed him softly on the lips. He broke away and said, "If I'm going to make love to you, I need my strength."

That would include leaving their room – something Kate didn't want to do. She wanted to lay in bed all day with him, her head on his chest, his hand on her back.

"We could order room service," she offered.

"Or we could see if the guests have left yet."

She looked at the clock. It read 8:35. They left half an hour ago.

"It seems we missed them," she said.

She knew today would be the only good day that they were in Florida. The rest of their honeymoon was supposed to be rainy and cloudy, much better days for staying indoors.

"We'll go out to breakfast, then we'll go swim in the ocean. How does that sound?" she asked.

He smiled. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

When Melissa sat down on the plane at 9:30, she expected to have time to read, or at the very least talk with Jack. However, as a beautiful girl with black, wavy hair and ocean blue eyes approached their row she wouldn't be able to have a conversation with him. 

The girl put her suitcase into the overhead compartment and sat down in the aisle seat. Melissa couldn't help but admit that she was beautiful, model-like, just like Kate.

"I recognize you," the girl said, looking at Jack and sitting down. "Were you at a wedding?"

She couldn't remember her. Everyone remembered Jack, though.

"You gave the best man's speech at the Sims-Turner wedding," the girl continued. "You said that my cousin hated you because you got her in trouble."

This was one of Kate's cousins? Then she had to have been at that wedding. Jack's best man speech was more memorable than Melissa would want at her wedding – and for the wrong reasons.

"So I did," Jack grinned.

Wonderful. Melissa would now have to sit through three hours of hearing Jack and the beautiful, mystery girl flirt.

Jack extended a hand. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Stephanie. You can call me Steph, though."

Melissa was grateful that she had the window seat. She could at least tune the two out and look at the window, or listen to LeAnn Rimes or read.

"So, _Captain_, you have a ship?" Steph asked him.

_Of course he has a ship!_ Melissa thought angrily, getting more fed up of their subtle flirtation. _He doesn't go around calling himself Captain for no reason!_

What didn't make sense to her was that he continued to call himself Captain when he hadn't seen his ship in nearly four months.

Melissa wasn't going to spend three hours sitting next to these two. She was going to get up a different spot. Melissa didn't care if someone else was sitting in it. She would just go to a different seat. It was a 10:00 flight on a Wednesday in mid-September from Miami to Minneapolis. How crowded could the plane be?

She wasn't jealous. That's why she had broken up with him nearly a month ago. Melissa wanted him to see other people. She would, too, after the baby and when she felt ready to date again.

_Think like Kate_, she thought, debating whether or not to stay in her seat like Melissa and tough it out. But why listen to Jack flirt with Kate's cousin when she could move somewhere else?

Melissa Lewes did exactly what she thought Kate Turner would do. She picked up her carry-on bag and got onto the aisle and looked for an empty seat.

Something blocked her view: a man just an inch or so taller than her with blue-green eyes and curly brown hair.

"Oh, great," she said. "It's you."

Melissa did not mean that in a caring way.

Beckett's eyes went from her to Jack, then to Steph, then back to Melissa. That's when she knew the act was up. He knew that there was no relationship between her and Jack. They would never see each other again – what did he care?

"It is," Beckett said, going four rows behind them. There was no one sitting in the two seats next to him. For a moment, she entertained the thought of sitting next to him. At least it would be someone to have a short conversation here and there.

She thought that she had gone crazy. Thinking about sitting with Beckett? Why? There were open seats everywhere else!

She didn't want to be alone, though. They could sit together and mind their own business.

No. She was going crazy.

"I believe these two seats are empty, Bee," Beckett said to her.

Bee? Had he forgotten that her name was Melissa?

"You may sit if Sparrow and you got into a lover's quarrel."

_I'm sure you wouldn't be going through a hardship if I sat with you_, she thought.

Melissa sat down and sat at the window seat. Beckett grinned.

"I thought you might," he replied, sitting down in the aisle seat.

She was grateful that he was keeping his distance, at least. This wouldn't be so bad. They'd have two feet of space between them. She could just listen to her iPod and he could do whatever he wanted to. They wouldn't even have to talk.

That sounded just fine to her.

"I'm curious as to which you will enquire first," he said to her, "why I called you Bee or how I know that you and Sparrow are not lovers."

Melissa hadn't planned on asking either. Trying to think like Kate, she knew that somehow it would come out in a bitchy reply. But she wasn't Kate – her muse in tough situations at times, yes.

"I have a loyalty to him," she said. "Beckett, were flirting with me when you hate Jack. You only wanted to take something that you thought he had."

"To be honest, I knew you were single all along. I spoke with you because I thought time would pass faster were it with a beautiful woman. I'm a couple's counselor. Your body language was untypical of lovers. You hadn't spoke the entire time, either. I knew that kiss was staged. I'm not a fool."

If he knew that she was single, then why didn't he say anything? Maybe the fact that she was so disgusted with him was a sign to him.

She wasn't going to have this discussion with someone she barely knew. All she knew was that he felt something – friendship or otherwise – towards her.

"So, if Bee isn't my name, then what is?" she asked, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She needed to change the subject, and that was the only thing she could think of.

"It's Melissa. Your name means bee in Greek."

Did he do that as a friendly gesture, or was he flirting with her? It was too weird to think about: someone nearly twenty years older than her flirting with her! She hoped that wasn't what it was.

As the plane made it's way down the runway and into the air, Melissa, against her better judgement, talked to him. She found out that he was stiff (no wonder Jack didn't like him) but witty. So far the only topic of conversation was the wedding, seeing as that was common ground for the two of them. Beckett said there would have been no wedding, were it not for him.

She also realized that he had an ego the size of New York City.

When the liquor cart came down the aisle, he turned to her.

"Would you like something from the cart? I'll buy for you, no one will know."

Seeing as she was pregnant, Melissa couldn't have alcohol. Even if she wasn't, she wouldn't, anyway. He could just be getting her drunk to take advantage of her to have a quickie in the bathroom, which she wouldn't put past him.

"No, I'm fine," she said smoothly.

"If you're concerned about drinking underage, it's no problem, no one will notice, I assure you."

He seemed pretty set on getting a drink in her. She had a feeling that he wanted to take advantage of her. None of this would be happening if Jack didn't flirt with Steph. But this was Jack – he couldn't not flirt with an attractive woman!

"I'm pregnant," she blurted.

Melissa didn't mean to say it. Thinking of Jack must have, along with her inability for alcohol.

Great. Now someone that she knew for half an hour knew that she was pregnant, but not people that she had known for years. She could have just refused. Why did she have to blurt it out? Why?!

"Oh," Beckett said. "Who's –"

"Please forget I said anything," she interrupted before he could interrogate her. She felt her cheeks turning red.

Beckett swallowed. "You're not married."

And there was no problem with that?

"No," she said. "It was stupid of me. I should have gone on birth control."

Melissa noticed that she seemed excited for the baby around Jack, Kate, and Will, but when someone else brought it up, it seemed like a mistake. Was it because those three were the only ones who happily talked about it, or did she really think that it was a mistake and she felt more able to hide it around her friends? Even she wasn't sure.

"You don't look very far along," he commented.

_It's because I'm sitting and wearing a tunic and loose jeans_, she thought.

"I'm thirteen weeks. This is the last week of my first trimester. I'm due on Easter."

Melissa tried to picture her stomach growing bigger. She was already starting to get stretch marks on it. It was proof that her baby was growing inside her.

"Congratulations," came out of his mouth.

Even though she had only known conservative Cutler Beckett for thirty or so minutes, she was surprised to hear that. She smiled lightly.

"Thanks."

The flight went by. Melissa was surprised to find that the longer they talked over the three hours, the more easily the conversation came. She hated to admit, but she was glad that she decided to sit with him. They even lived near each other. She lived in Champlin with Jack, and he lived in Coon Rapids by himself. The cities were about ten minutes away, and thirty minutes north of Minneapolis.

After the pilot announced they would be landing soon, she put up her tray as instructed. She was glad to be getting home, but wanted to continue talking with Beckett. He was interesting.

"When are you free?" he asked her.

He wasn't asking her on a date, was he?

"Between managing college and work, who knows," she replied. "Why?"

"I wanted to ask you out to dinner."

Oh, gosh, this was going to be a date! Melissa didn't want to date! She was pregnant!

"L-Like I said, it's going to be a while," she stuttered. "Plus, I'll be trying to read parenting books and having the obstetrician –"

"It's not a date," he interrupted, sensing her worry. "Two friends going to, say, Olive Garden?"

Melissa wasn't sure if she could go to a dinner with him, either. She was worried that it would feel awkward, going to dinner with someone who wasn't Jack when she was pregnant. Was it normal to feel that way?

"I don't know," she said, uneasily.

Beckett nodded, but he seemed a bit offended. "If you ever feel like it...you'll find my number in the phone book."

She had a feeling she would be looking in that phone book for his number. With Jack taking the first step of meeting someone else and Kate moving to New York next week, she wouldn't really have anyone to talk to.

Why not try and form a friendship with him? She had nothing to lose.

* * *

Will would not be anywhere else than on a beach with his wife of fifteen-and-a-half hours, holding hands, hip-deep in the ocean. Kate was facing the horizon with a grin on her face. Her hair was wet from swimming out deeper earlier with him before. For once, he hadn't cared if people saw him show his love for someone. This was his Kate, there was no reason to hide it anymore.

Both were in their swimsuits. He was wearing a pair of black trunks (it felt awkward to him for being so exposed in public, but everyone was this exposed. He didn't want to overreact like the first day they met when he went grocery shopping with Kate), while she was wearing a red bikini.

"This the Lipton Iced Tea Plunge," she said. "It was in a commercial. You hold hands with the person next to you..."

They were already doing that.

"And when a wave comes, you just fall back," she said.

This what he loved about Kate: she was adventurous. Most women hated falling back into the ocean. He noticed that most were suntanning or walking along the beach. She was different. No matter what she was doing, she was having fun.

He saw a wave coming towards them. She smiled.

"Ready? One, two, three..."

They both fell back. Saltwater flooded over him, and sand met the back that Kate had once helped heal.

That had been the first time that they were about to kiss, too.

Both broke the surface of the water. He caught his breath and saw that she was laughing. She hadn't looked this happy in quite some time. In fact, he wasn't sure if he had ever seen her this happy.

Will hadn't ever been happier, either. He had just married the woman that he loved from the moment that they met and were in the ocean together.

A sense of deja vu came over him. Will wondered if Kate was right: that perhaps they had a past life. He wouldn't rule it out. She was very similar to someone else that he used to love.

Perhaps one day they would know for sure.

* * *

Melissa and Jack arrived back at their town home at around 1:00, suitcases in tow. He hadn't spoken to her much during the ride home. The wench sat with Cutler Beckett – bugger only knew what else they did. They probably kissed and exchanged phone numbers!

That's what he had done with Steph. Minus the kissing – they had exchanged phone numbers, though. It was fine for _him_ to move on – this was Beckett, the devil in human form! Melissa could not start going around with him!

"You're mad at me," she said, putting her suitcase on their bed. She zipped it open and took the red and white tunic that she had wore going to Miami and folded it, putting it back in her drawer.

"Thank ya, Captain Obvious," Jack said.

She picked up a skirt and folded it up. "Look, we're just friends. If it weren't for you flirting with Steph, I wouldn't have had to get up and move somewhere else."

"Out of character fer ya," he commented.

"Flirting is one thing. I don't care if you do that, Jack. Doing that in front of me is something different."

Was Melissa not over him? Is that why she got up and left, or was it because she was just plain angry?

"We broke up. We agreed to see other people," she continued. "That's great you found someone new. I'm not standing in your way. And when the time comes, I don't expect for you to stand in my way."

"This is Lord Cutler Beckett, love –"

"And this is Kate's cousin! What makes you think that makes it any better? You cheated on me with Kate, and now you found her cousin as your new plaything?"

Melissa had a point. He had gone to two different Sims – but this was Kate's family! Kate had beautiful people in her family!

"Do me a favor," she said. "Don't be the parent until our child is born."


	50. How to Change a Life

Chapter Fifty

How to Change a Life

**Short chapter, but something big happens.

* * *

**

Two weeks had past since Melissa had sent off the gender testing kit. Melissa had received the e-mail that said the gender testing company shortly after dinner on Tuesday. She gasped when she saw that it was from the company. Melissa was sitting next to Jack, watching a baseball game. She hated baseball – she didn't even care who was winning.

"Jack," she said, once she saw who it was from.

"It's from the company?" he guessed, sounding unexcited.

"Yes!"

Her heart started beating faster as she clicked on the e-mail. Jack leaned over and read it with her.

_Dear Miss Lewes,_

_Thank you for purchasing a gender-testing kit from Little Miracles. We congratulate you on your little girl that is due in March!_

Melissa didn't need to read the rest of it. She found out they were having a girl! Melissa was going to be a mommy to a little girl!

"I finally get the chance t' name somethin' other than a ship 'Pearl'," Jack grinned.

And as soon as that bliss came over her, it faded to black at the name Pearl. She was never going to name her child that. Audrey or Amy, yes. But not Pearl!

"So we're going to have this fight again," Melissa said.

As much of a friend that Jack was, there was no compromising the name of their child. She was not going to name it Pearl!

"If we must," he said. "Love, why else would I've named my ship th' Black Pearl?"

The name was obviously important to him. Maybe they could compromise.

"What about Audrey Pearl or Amy Pearl?" she suggested.

The instant she said it she regretted it. She hated the name – now Jack was going to be hell-bent on having that name. Pearl was in it – what did it matter to him anymore? Even if it was the middle name, he would be happy.

A stupid grin came over upon his lips after she said that. She was going to say anything that she had to to get that off his face.

"It's ninety-five percent accurate," she said. "If it's a boy, the DNA could just be weak."

That was a lie and she knew it. The test said that it was a girl, and she knew it before the test said that.

"Amy Pearl Lewes," Jack said. "Or, dare I say it...Pearl Amy Lewes."

He did dare. Melissa hated him for it.

"Say it again, you get kicked out," she threatened.

* * *

Melissa had come across Kate's mind occasionally during the honeymoon. She wondered how Melissa was doing. Melissa had often gotten teary-eyed or had a hard time talking when the words "New York" came up. Kate knew that she was having a hard time. She wasn't, though. Kate was moving there to start a new life with her husband. She was excited!

There was no doubt that she would miss Melissa. They would probably e-mail everyday and count the days until they would see each other again at the next holiday.

On the last full day of their honeymoon, Kate and Will played a game of Uno while listening to rain pitter-patter against their window. It had been a very relaxing honeymoon, even if it did rain for most of it. They stayed inside and watched "The Notebook" and "Moulin Rouge!", which had been on movie channels in the evenings.

Kate was in a chemise, and Will was in sweat pants. The game seemed to be going nowhere. She put her cards and lay down, meeting the mattress.

Will collected the cards and put them on the night stand and lay next to her. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, drawing her closer.

"Ten years from now, what do you think things are going to be like with Jack and Melissa?" she asked. "Will we have only seen them a handful of times? Are we still going to keep up our friendship with them?"

"Of course we are. Melissa means too much to you. Anything that's worth keeping is worth working for."

It would take a lot of work to keep friendship with Melissa, but ten years from now, she wanted to still call her a friend.

"Do you think we'll stay in touch with Jack?" she asked.

Kate had a love/hate relationship with Jack. He could be a good man at times, but at times he was selfish. Melissa and Jack weren't going to live together forever, making communication more difficult with him. He'd probably dismiss them as former acquaintances and "forget" their e-mail address.

"You and I would both love to hear how he handles fatherhood," he replied.

Kate would be sure not to miss out on that.

"Will?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Were it not for Melissa, we never would have met."

If Kate hadn't gone antique shopping with her on May 30, she never would have bought the medallion that led her to Will. Kate hadn't been introduced to antique shopping until Melissa took her into a small town a few minutes north of her.

The beginning was the most important, though. If she and Melissa never met, none of this would have happened. She probably wouldn't have been introduced to antique shopping or could be living in Connecticut, her parents staying close to their alma mater, Yale.

Her and Melissa's parents could have settled down somewhere near New Haven. Sure, they may have met, but they never would have come across the medallion.

"I would probably never have set foot in the antique store where I bought your medallion were it not for her," she continued.

"Isn't that interesting how one person you meet or one small thing you do changes your life forever?"

She always did find that interesting.

"It is," she said.

* * *

Amy Pearl.

Why did Melissa mention that name? Pearl was so old-fashioned. Melissa did not want her child to be named that!

She could grow used to it. Melissa had six more months. She tried to keep in perspective that the name was obviously important to Jack. She didn't want to not let him have a say – this was her child as much as it was his. It would be selfish to not take what he wanted into consideration.

Why couldn't this be a boy? They would agree easier on a name. Then again, Jack wouldn't get to use Pearl for a boy. It would be Aaron.

That only reminded her of sixth grade love of Aaron Carter.

Maybe she could get used to Amy Pearl Lewes. At least she got the first name.

* * *

Amy Pearl.

The name wasn't so bad, Jack thought. At least he got the middle name. Pearl was it!

On Easter, Jack would be the father to a child named Amy Pearl Lewes, who would probably look just like her mother: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a small nose. Amy would probably have the same banshee-ness as Melissa when she was angry, just like the day they met.

Now, he could never imagine her throwing a phone and screaming at someone.

He wondered if just maybe the test was wrong, that it was a boy growing inside of Melissa. The DNA in the test showed there was an X-chromosome, which she already had. The Y-chromosome could be not showing up.

Unlikely, though.

He had battled an undead Barbossa and got eaten by the Kraken, but Jack had a feeling that parenthood would be ten times harder than those.


	51. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Chapter Fifty-One

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

**I'll give you two guesses as to who owns the name of this chapter. And no, it's not me. Nor do I own "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat.

* * *

**

Melissa remembered the day that Kate had mentioned about moving to New York. She remembered everything about that conversation. Kate was just entertaining the idea, having fun.

_Kate popped a crouton from her Caesar salad into her mouth. She and Melissa were sitting together at in the cafeteria during lunch at school. It was late September. Out the window, she could see the leaves starting to barely change colors. A few were orange, but most were green. This was Melissa's favorite time of the year – it was so beautiful outside._

"_You know what would be fun to do?" Kate asked._

_Kate thinks that sky-diving would be fun. It worried Melissa what she thinks would be fun _today

"_What would be a fun thing to do, Kate?" Melissa asked._

"_If I moved to New York."_

_Had she gone crazy? Moving to New York? That was 1,200 miles away! She had gone there over the summer for a modeling gig, though. Maybe she fell in love with the city._

"_I'm hoping that's a joke," Melissa said, biting into her Rice Krispie bar._

_Kate said it would just be a fun thing to do. Then again, she thought sky-diving would be a fun thing to do, yet the adventurous brunette in front of her hadn't succeeded in doing so._

"_What do you think?" Kate said. "It's great for modeling. Yes, I recently got signed with Anthropologie, but I do my photo shoots only on Saturdays, since I have school. They have nothing in Minnesota. Think of all that I could do in New York, Melrose. I could model for Dolce and Gabbana someday, or Calvin Klein!"_

_In all honesty, Melissa thought that she was crazy. Kate had collapsed in Choir a few days ago, rumored because she was starving herself because of modeling. Melissa knew those were just pathetic lies and that it wasn't true. Now she was thinking to move to New York (on a whim!) to encourage a collapse from actual starvation??_

_Melissa wasn't sure if Kate was serious. She would either forget about it tomorrow or wouldn't stop talking about it._

"_It'd be a great career move," she continued._

"_You've been doing this for four months and you're thinking of moving to New York?" Melissa asked._

"_It'd be a year if I even went to New York again to look for an apartment," Kate said. "I don't know. I was just thinking about it last night. This all started out just as a fun job, but I love it, Melissa. I want to do this for a living. And I have you to thank for helping me. You were the one that helped me take all those pictures to send to the agencies. Remember?"_

_That's how Melissa spent sixteen days in May: hearing Kate ponder aloud if she was sure to send those pictures or not. How could she forget it?_

"_I just hope you do what's right for you," she said._

And nearly a year to the day, she was driving with Jack to Melissa's house at 7:00 in the morning to say goodbye. The selfish part of her wanted to beg her to stay in Minnesota. Kate needed to live a new life with Will, though. Melissa was proud of her. She was doing it because she wanted to.

Who would have thought a year ago this is where life would take them? Melissa would never have guessed that she had fallen in and out love with someone thirteen years older than her was the father of her child, whom she was planning to name Amy Pearl Lewes, much to her dismay.

Melissa pulled up to the curb of Kate's house. The last of Kate and Will's things were being loaded into the small U-Haul, thanks to Bootstrap and Mr. Sims. On it were a picture of snow-capped Rocky Mountains, with the word "Colorado" underneath it. Melissa wanted to go to Colorado right now and be on top of a mountain. She didn't want to be here, saying goodbye to the friend that she had held so dear to her for twelve years.

Jack and Melissa got out of the car. Kate eagerly went up to Melissa and pulled her into the garage by the hand.

"Boy or girl?" was the first think Kate asked.

Had she been thinking about that the entire honeymoon?

"Girl," Melissa smiled.

Kate squealed and hugged her. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Amy Pearl Lewes, I think."

Kate smiled. "That is too cute!"

The awkward silence came. What needed to be said didn't want to be mentioned.

"So...it's here," Kate said.

Melissa nodded. There was nothing more to say.

Both stood in awkward silence for a moment. Melissa realized this was it: the last time they would see each other until the holidays.

She felt the disgusting lump in her throat start to appear again.

"I'm so sorry," Kate said. "I have been awful to you this past year, yet here you are, coming to say goodbye to me."

She hadn't done anything that Melissa couldn't forgive her for. They were still friends, all said and done.

"I went behind your back and betrayed you, yet you still call me a friend. That takes a good person, Mel."

"It's because we're Melissa and Kate. We can get through anything together. I'll love you no matter what you do."

Kate enveloped her in a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much, Melissa."

Out came the fountain of tears from Melissa's eyes. Now was her time to blubber like a baby. Everything she had tried to hide came showing itself.

"I'm going to miss you more," she said.

"Liar," Kate said.

The tears streamed down her cheeks. She pulled away and wiped her eyes. Melissa remembered what she said to Kate at her bachelorette party.

"No tears," she said through her own. "You can't go otherwise."

How ironic that the one who made that statement was being a hypocrite.

"It's only a few months," Kate said. "You and I can get together during Thanksgiving for a while. I'll be able to see you during Christmas. It's two months. It's not that far."

That was a lie. Thanksgiving seemed like lifetimes away. She would have to make this hug count.

"I'll be waiting," Melissa said.

Melissa hugged her tightly. She would miss Kate too much. Melissa bet herself that by the end of the week, she'd be calling Beckett for a friendly get-together.

* * *

Who would have thought that three and a half months ago, Jack would be saying goodbye to the whelp, who was leaving with Kate – the same Kate he lusted to this day – to begin married life in New York? Not Jack. He thought that he'd have Kate by now. That was the first plan of his that failed. 

Bloody wench.

"It was nice to see you again," Will said. "It means a lot that you decided to say goodbye."

Only he could make it sound like they were attending a funeral.

"I 'ave t' call ya whelp one last time b'fore ya go...whelp."

Even when the two of them were old, both with children Kate and Melissa's age, Jack would still call him "whelp".

"Just the goodbye I'll remember, Jack," Will said.

Jack grinned. "Thought so."

Kate and Melissa approached from the garage. The wench did something unexpected – she hugged him. It wasn't just a brief hug – it was a long hug.

"What a summer we had together," she said softly into his ear.

What a summer, indeed. Countless attempts to win her over, each ending in failure, along with Cabin Weekend (his favorite part).

"You take care of Melissa and the baby," she said. "If you don't, I'll get back here and you'll wish you were never born."

Jack knew that was truth, too. Just one slip up, and back came Kate, acting like a banshee.

Kate pulled away from him. He saw Kate go and hug her parents goodbye, as well as her new father-in-law. Jack would miss them both in the only way that he knew how to miss a person. He would miss seeing the Kate that he still wanted, and he'd miss calling Will a whelp.

Good times this summer.

* * *

Kate was happy to leave the nest finally. For eighteen and a half years she had spent life in Minnesota with her parents. Kate had loved it, but she was ready to leave. She was an adult: it was time for her to lead her life. Kate had just gotten married and was ready for life to get even better. 

She got into the passenger seat of the U-Haul as Will got into the driver's seat. A smile came onto her face as he started the ignition. It felt like a bizarre, yet wonderful dream to her. She was finally leaving for New York!

As they pulled away, she looked back at the cream house that she had lived in her whole life. She was ready for an apartment for the two of them. Their time had come.

Goodbye, Minnesota. Hello, New York.

Melissa felt like her whole life was driving away in that U-Haul. She loved Kate – they had been best friends for twelve years. They had been there for each other. When her grandmother died in ninth grade, Kate was there with tissues and a big hug that only a best friend could give. Melissa called her at three in the morning the day after the funeral and she listened, despite the fact that she was exhausted and sharing the same pain that she felt. Kate even went to the funeral with her and held her hand to show her support.

She had been Melissa's world. The past months had been rocky, but it made them stronger. Right when they were at their best, they were being torn apart. She felt like her heart was being the thing being torn. It felt like a knife was being taken to it when she saw the U-Haul driving further away.

Kate was happy, though. This was the start of her new life. She was right, too. Thanksgiving was only two months away.

Parting is such sweet sorrow. Why?

* * *

At her second class of the day, Melissa was pondering what to write in the first e-mail to Kate while looking at the blank word document in front of her on her laptop and half-listening to the professor. Melissa didn't know what the lecture was on today, and frankly, she didn't really care. She began to type on the document which was supposed to be for note taking. 

_I miss you so much. I'm taking this harder than I should and I don't know why. You're like my sister. I know you're happy wherever you and Will are right now. You're probably singing to some song and having the time of your life. I'm happy for you, Katie. I am. My heart just feels like it's going to break in two._

_Maybe it did already. It felt like it was when you two were driving away._

_What would you tell me if you were here? First of all, you wouldn't even be here. You'd hate college. I'm sure you'd love the parties though._

_Really, though. You'd tell me not to miss me and tell me to listen to "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie. I may just have to listen to that song when I'm going to pick Jack up._

_Hope you have fun in the Big Apple, you crazy._

There. She got it all out.

Melissa closed out of the word document, deleting every word that she felt.

* * *

Will had been driving for four hours now. A sign said that they were twenty miles north of Madison, Wisconsin passed them. The sun shone down while "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillait played on the local radio station. Kate sang along. 

"The rain is falling on my window pane/ But we are hiding in a safer place / Under covers staying safe and warm / You give me feelings that I adore / And it starts in my toes / Make me crinkle my nose / Wherever it goes / I always know / That you make me smile..."

A road trip with his new wife would be nothing short of a joy, he knew, as a smile tugged on his lips.


	52. Not a Moment of Regret

Chapter Fifty-Two

Not a Moment of Regret

**Short chapter. A filler. You can only guess what's happening next chapter...haha.

* * *

**

Kate and Will spent the night at the La Quinta Inn in Toledo, Ohio. They checked in at 6:00 in the evening on Thursday and checked out on Friday at 10:00 in the morning. The two continued on their journey to New York. They guessed that they'd arrive in Queens at around 6:00 in the evening

Two hours later, at noon, they were still in Ohio, nearing Youngstown. It was sunny and warm.

"Do you remember when we had Willy?" he asked.

How could she forget Willy? That robot baby was the worst! She was exhausted from it. That was not the best time to take care of Willy when she was trying to plan a wedding.

"Yes," she smiled. "And you would want to be a parent right now if that's what we had to do? Get up during the night and go on little sleep?"

"Of course. I'm anticipating when we have a child."

There was a small chance that Kate could be pregnant right now. True, she was on birth control, but there was always the small chance that it didn't work. She had never worried about getting pregnant before. Why would she need to? She was a virgin then.

"One day, I'm going to bring home a test, and I'll be overwhelmed with joy that I'll cry when I see that it's positive. You'll be spending months fixing up that nursery of our's, painting it and putting a crib together..."

Kate smiled just at the thought of him working on that, her hand on her growing stomach as the watched him.

Just thinking of her being pregnant made her think of Melissa, who she missed more than she liked to admit. Last night had been hard, knowing that she was sleeping in Ohio. It was different than being in Florida. She knew that she'd see Melissa again in a few days. This time it was a few months.

She couldn't wait to set up her internet and send an e-mail. Maybe she would send a letter. It would get there quicker than an e-mail.

"Do you remember when you and I made the list with our future children's names?" he asked.

That was when Melissa had her "food poisoning" – the first signs of her pregnancy. God, Kate was missing her.

"I do," she said. "I brought that notebook with me to New York. The list is in there. The next time that we look at it will probably be when we're discussing names."

"And we'll remember Willy."

She viewed it as a premonition that her firstborn would be a boy.

"We will," she smiled.

* * *

College was done for the week. That was one of the things that Melissa loved about college life – she got Friday off. It gave her a day to go to work and catch up on her studies. Her classes went from 9:00 to 3:00, only six hours. Her days were shorter, but much more difficult. The work was challenging, but she loved that she was on her way to achieving her dream of being a veterinarian.

Melissa usually had an hour and a half home alone before she had to go pick up Jack at work. She would change into sweat pants and work on homework on their bed. Melissa savored the quiet time that she had – it would be hard to come by when the baby arrived.

After Melissa changed into her sweats pants, she thought of Beckett. It had been four days since they last spoke. She wouldn't be talking much to anyone besides Jack, since Kate and Will were out in New York, and Jack would most likely be occupied with his newest plaything, whoever it would be. Melissa would be bored, and she knew it. She was pregnant, but that didn't mean she could be friends with another man.

Even if the man was the enemy of the father of her child.

Melissa was going to do what she wanted. It was only a friendly dinner. This was a friend – so help her if Jack decided to keep her from him.

Melissa looked through an online phone directory and found Beckett's home phone number. She dialed the number and got nothing but his voicemail.

"Hello, you've reached Cutler Beckett. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I'll call you as soon as I can. Have a pleasant day."

Typical Beckett. What else did she expect?

The answering machine beeped.

"Hey, Beckett, it's me. Melissa. From the plane. The blonde, pregnant one that sat next to you."

How pathetic did she sound? Of course he'd remember her.

"On Sunday you asked if I would go out to dinner with you some night. I've decided that college can wait a night. One condition, though: it's a friendly dinner. Call me back if Friday works."

Melissa folded her pink Razor and dropped it on her bed.

How desperate did she seem?

* * *

When Melissa came back from picking Jack up, she heard the phone ringing in her purse. Was it Beckett? Most people came home around 5:00, it could be him. Or it could be her parents calling on their way back from work and needed to ask her something. Melissa prayed that they weren't calling to say that they were going to drop by.

She pulled it out and saw that it wasn't her parents, but a number that wasn't in her phone book. Melissa answered it and went up the stairs to their room.

"Hello?" she said.

"Yes, is this Melissa?" the voice on the other line asked.

Melissa knew that voice. It was only one person who it could be.

"Yeah," she said. "Beckett, right?"

"What a wonderful guesser."

She hated his deadly sarcasm.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I just got home and received your message on the answering machine."

"And?" she asked, setting her purse on the bed.

"I would be honored to have your presence with me tomorrow while I dine."

Melissa prayed that his formality was only for humor.

"How gracious of you, my lord," she joked. "Shall our presences meet at 7:00 in the evening tomorrow at Olive Garden?"

"They shall."

She could hear the smile in his voice. Did he think that this was a date? She had said in her message that it was going to be a friendly get-together. He could have decided that the recording conveniently stopped after she said that college could wait a night. She was not even want to think about dating someone else when Jack's baby was inside her!

"It's just two friends getting together, Beckett," she confirmed.

"You've said that," he said.

Melissa could do nothing but hope that he understood that.

"Great. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hung up and put the cell phone on her night stand. Tomorrow she'd be going out for dinner with a friend – a friend who her closest friend in Minnesota despised. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty, like she was betraying Jack in a way. This was her life, though. She was going to do what she wanted!

"Mel 'n' Cutler, eh?" Jack teased behind her. "Who would 'ave thought?"

Did he listen in on their whole conversation? Splendid.

"It's not like that," she replied, sitting down on the bed, facing Jack who was standing in the doorway.

He was teasing her...that meant he had to have faced some sort of truth.

"You're not angry," she hinted. "You're alright with it?"

Jack sat next to her. "You're changin', Mel. When ya try t' stop somethin' that wants t' be free, ya end up makin' it miserable. I can't control ya – nor would I want t'. Yer me mate."

As he put an arm around her shoulder, she wondered if he spoke from experience.

"Yer a bit hallow in th' 'ead at times," he continued, "but that's what makes Mel Mel."

Just like old times, she put her head on his shoulder. She felt comforted just by sitting like this. This was how they sat in the bathroom when she told him she that she was pregnant, that he would be there for her and the baby. He had held her when she came home on August 1, after nearly being caught in the 35W bridge collapse. Both times she was crying out of fear and shock. Now it he was hugging her to let her know that he didn't want her to change.

Part of her wanted to get back together with him. It would be hard to find someone she shared this deep of a bond with. At the same time, though, she hadn't felt sad when she had broken up with him. Melissa had felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She had done it because they fought too often. Whenever she was with him, life seemed difficult, like neither would win if they stayed together. Life without him, though, she was finding out, was much worse than loving him.

With love you had to take a chance. Melissa had taken one. She learned more than she thought she could ever have by not playing it safe.

She didn't regret a moment of it, either.


	53. Olive Garden

Chapter Fifty-Three

Olive Garden

**I love you guys! Four hundred reviews! How about all of us go to Olive Garden? We might catch a glimpse of Beckett and Melissa, even...**

**This chapter goes to my friend, Melanie, who was recently diagnosed. All of us are praying for you and know that you'll make it through.

* * *

**

Yesterday at around 6:00, Kate and Will had arrived at their apartment in New York. The only thing they brought in was take-out for dinner, muffins for tomorrow morning, and blankets. They decided that they weren't going to bring in boxes and furniture tonight – that would be Friday's job.

And Friday's job it became.

After a muffin each, the newlyweds trekked back down the elevator to the U-Haul they parked on the street during the evening. They decided to work on furniture first, seeing as boxes were easier to lift. After a few minutes of trying to get the couch into the elevator in the lobby, they got it in the elevator.

A few moments later, the door opened to the sixth floor. They picked the couch up and went down the hall with it. Kate didn't realize how heavy a couch was until she had to go down a whole apartment floor with it. Thankfully, it wasn't too long, there were two apartments before their's on the left side.

"Left," Kate instructed Will, who was walking backwards, trying to get the couch through the door.

"A little to the right," she said.

The couch eased through the doorway. They brought it to the living room and set it down by the window.

"We should have thought of a better way to do this," she thought out loud.

"There's not much in the way of furniture," he replied. "The lounge, the dining room, and the bed."

Kate had never moved before. She had a feeling she was in for a surprise with how hard it would be.

Repeating the same process, they brought the lounge upstairs. She quickly realized that this was not a fun job, nor how she wanted to spend her day, but necessary.

When they were bringing the lounge into their apartment, she saw a pale woman with long, red hair come out of her apartment. She noticed that they lived in the apartment next door.

"Oh, how nice!" the redhead said to them. "Children helping their parents move!"

Were it not for Will, Kate was sure that the chair would have fallen onto the floor. She could feel her face getting red with embarrassment. The redhead thought that they were siblings? They only had their brown hair, height, and tan in common. Come to think of it, their bone structure was somewhat similar. Their face shape was different.

"Did she –?" he began to ask.

"Yes," Kate said quickly. She didn't feel like explaining to yet _another _person that she was eighteen and married.

_That sounds like something Melissa would say, were she that redhead_, Kate thought.

And so her longing for Melissa deepened.

* * *

Melissa spent the evening straightening her hair and deciding what to wear. After looking through all the loose tops she had, she decided on an orange/brown one and jeans. At 6:30, she slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the garage.

"See you in a while," she called over her shoulder to Jack. "Call me on the cell if you need me."

Melissa drove for half an hour to Olive Garden. Walking in, she saw Beckett sitting on a bench inside. A tenor singing in Italian played over the sound system.

She smiled. "Hey."

He looked up at her. "Good evening."

The maitre d lead them to a table near the back. Melissa knew from experience that a Friday night at Olive Garden was packed. She wondered if he got here early so that they would be able to have a table.

"How are you?" Beckett asked, once seated at a table.

"Fine," Melissa replied. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, as well," he said.

An awkward silence filled the space between them. Melissa picked up a menu and looked through it. Linguini alla Marinara sounded good tonight.

She wondered what it looked like for her to be with someone who was about fifteen years older than her. He probably looked like he could be her father. This was becoming embarrassing than she thought it would be. Did people think he was a sugar daddy?!

"How old are you?" she blurted out before she could stop it.

He looked up from the menu. "Thirty-five."

A fourteen year age difference. Not old enough to be her father, thank goodness, but old enough to be a sugar daddy.

"I'm eighteen," she said.

Melissa could feel her face turning red. She had never imagined that this was what it would be like go out to dinner with an older man. Jack didn't count, seeing as they had never gone out somewhere. Even if they had, it would have been much more relaxed. Melissa actually knew things about Jack. She had only talked to Beckett three hours.

"This shall be sufficiently awkward," he said, looking back down at the menu.

Yes. Yes, it would be.

After a waitress took their orders, Melissa took a sip of water. What to say from here? What was she thinking, going out to dinner with someone she barely knew. Was she that desperate to have someone to talk to?

"Tell me what Port Royal was like," she said.

"Warm," he said.

She wondered how many times a day he used sarcasm.

"I guessed," she said.

Maybe she could pretend to have morning sickness in the evening. This was an awful idea.

"I do have to say that the twenty-first century is a bit more practical," he continued. "You can go from Jamaica to England in a matter of hours."

Melissa had never thought about how it must have been such a daunting journey from Port Royal to England and back. She couldn't handle being on a ship for more than a few hours, much less weeks.

"How long did it take you to get from England to Port Royal?" she asked.

"Six weeks or so."

Six weeks? She would go crazy. How could someone do that? All they had to entertain themselves with were books and human interaction!

"I can see why you'd prefer twenty-first century life," she said. "Did you like your job? Owning the East India Trading Company, I mean."

"It gave me control. I owned the East India Trading Company, Melissa. I could have anything that I wanted. I loved it."

With power came greed and desire, though.

"I don't think that people loved you, though," she said.

"If I cared about that, I would not have had that level of authority."

She could still fake the morning/evening sickness. It'd be easy. Run off to the bathroom and call Jack on her cell and admit tell that he was right, she was wrong, and that she was coming home.

"Right you are," she said.

"The time has come that I ask _you_ a question," he said. "What's it like to be with child?"

She had never really thought about it. What does it feel like to be pregnant?

"It doesn't hurt –"

"Not physically," he said, rolling his eyes.

It wouldn't kill him to be a bit more specific.

"It was horrible in the beginning," she said. "I was sick and depressed for a week. The depression and shock was for a week, anyway. I was sick for about six weeks. Now I can't imagine something not growing in me." She laughed. "In a few months, I'll want my body to myself soon, I'm guessing."

Hopefully Beckett now had some idea of what it was like to be in the first trimester of pregnancy.

"Do you regret it?" he asked.

"Her. I used to regret her. Now I don't know how life would even be possible without her."

"Her?" he questioned.

"Yeah. I took a blood test, it said it was a girl. Jack and I are going to name her Amy Pearl, we think."

Pearl. Melissa still didn't like that name. She prayed it would grow on her.

"Amy Sparrow. That would be a lovely name, if not for the latter."

"Amy Lewes, actually."

She remembered that was the final straw for her with Jack. It was such a minor thing, but it would stay with her daughter until the day she got married.

"Lovely, indeed."

That was what he called her on the plane. Did he still have more-than-friendly feelings towards her? She would be sick if he still did.

And so the night at Olive Garden began.

* * *

Melissa came home around 8:30 that evening. Jack was watching something a baseball game when he heard the garage door open.

"'Ow was th' dinner with th' de'il 'imself?" Jack asked.

She walked through the small kitchen and took her cell phone out of her purse and put it on the charger. "You were right."

He never thought that he would hear that come from her.

"Not completely, though."

Of course she wasn't going to give him complete satisfaction.

"Do tell, dearie," he said.

She sat down next to him on the sofa. "He told me that he loved owning the East India Trading Company because he could have anything he wanted."

Jack laughed. He would have done anything to see Melissa's face.

"I was going to fake my morning sickness in the evening and go to the bathroom and call you to say that I was coming home early," she admitted. "Gosh, it was awful!"

"'N' it didn't get better fer ya...Oh, Mel, I have no sympathy fer ya this time."

"No, it did get better," she corrected. "He inquired about my pregnancy. So, no, he's not a complete devil."

"'E only asked 'cause he's infatuated with you."

"Possibly."

_More than probable_, he mentally corrected.

"Who's winning?" she asked, looking at the game on television.

"Red Sox," Jack said.

She smiled and nestled against him and shut her eyes. "Pretend that I'm Amy," she murmured. "Tell me a pirate story."

For the first time since September, Jack began to wonder what it would be like to call Melissa his again, to have her cuddle against him. He wasn't interested in getting back together with her...or did his feelings deceive him?

A grin came upon his lips. "Once upon a time, there was a pirate captain that sailed the seas. His name was Captain Jack Sparrow, and..."


	54. Two EMails

Chapter Fifty-Four

Two E-Mails

**Okay, we're **_**finally**_** getting somewhere in the story, you guys! And thank you to those who are praying for my friend. You don't know how much we appreciate it!**

**Fun chapter to write.

* * *

**

Subject: Love From New York!

Date: Saturday, October 13, 2007 12:10 PM EST

To: owe you an apology. A _huge_ one. It's been more than three weeks since we've last spoken and I have not bothered to send out one e-mail. And I know what you would say: I have an excuse because I've been busy moving. And I have.

Where do I begin? New York is great! You would love it. Our apartment is absolutely wonderful. The first song that we heard while unpacking was "First Time" by Lifehouse. (Remember the bachelorette party?) It's been three weeks and we're nearly all settled. Moving was awful. When we were moving boxes and furniture in on our first day, our neighbor thought that we were siblings and we were helping our parents move in. Just imagine the joy we had explaining that we were married.

Will and I have been doing our photo shoots on Wednesdays – right in the middle of the week, which works out great for us. It's great to work only one day out of the week – plus, we get paid what most couples get paid in two weeks. Will is great on photo shoots. He has an amazing eye for the right poses. Comes from him being a blacksmith, I suppose. On our recent days off (now that we're all unpacked, that is), we usually watch movies. He watched "The Notebook" the other day for the first time. That is, hands down, the _best_ movie to watch with the one you love. Those kissing in the rain scenes...

It's our three week anniversary today! Three weeks ago, you and I were talking in our hotel room. Remember how scared I was? I don't know what I would have done without you, Melissa. Really. Thank you.

Speaking of being a blacksmith, he jokingly brought up the other night that I was Elizabeth in a past life. At first, I was a little angry that he was comparing me to his ex-fiancée (he married _me_!), but she and I_ are_ similar. And I was having serious deja vu when he and I were on the beach. I want to think that it's coincidence, but since when have I believed in that?

Alright, I've been holding this in for three weeks: I miss you! I was listening to "When You're Gone" the other day, and I couldn't help but think of you. You have no idea how much I miss you!

By the way, Will and I have reserved tickets for Thanksgiving. We're going to his father's apartment for a few days. Do you and I want to get together? I want to see you, Melrose! I'll go anywhere with you! You pick the place and I'll find a way to get there!

How's the pregnancy going? I hope it's treating you well. You, Amy, and Jack are constantly on my mind. I can't wait until Amy is born! You're going to be a wonderful mother, Melissa.

Update me about what's going on in Minnesota with you!

Love,

Kate

* * *

Subject: It's About Time!

Date: Saturday, October 13, 2007 7:09 PM CST

To: me just say, _someone's_ in love! You're talking about a guy like I've never seen you do before. I'm really happy for you, though. I'm happy that you're happy. Even thought it's so hard not having you here.

And stoic Kate, who has cried only once or twice in front of me other than the bachelorette party, finally admitted that she misses someone. What has this world come to?

What's been going on in three weeks, you ask? I went to dinner with Cutler Beckett. Yes, Beckett. Why? Because I thought he might not be as bad as people thought. And was I wrong? Yes. I am terrified of that man. If you think that you're going to laugh at me for that, need I remind you that you got drunk in Florida and sang "A Pirate's Life For Me" on the balcony with Jack? (Hmm, Elizabeth after all?)

College has been kicking my butt lately. There's so much homework, I hardly get a chance to relax. Don't get me started with Chemistry and Calculus. I hate them. The only thing I like about college is that I get Fridays off. Even then I have work.

I'm in my second trimester! My sixteenth week, to be exact. Jack says I've been moody lately. I got angry at him for not picking up laundry detergent the other day. He loves to tease me more lately because he knows that he'll actually get a reaction out of me. Oh, and I've gained eight pounds since I found out. Eight! Kate, I'm going to get fat! After I have the baby, I'm just going to be a blob...ugh. I know that breast-feeding burns about five-hundred calories a day, but I'll have to do running and pushing Amy around in a stroller. And I'll have to diet! It makes me wonder how celebrities get in shape so quick after Baby.

And, yes, we must meet up! Bring Will with to the town home and us four can get together. It'll be great to see you again.

With love from Minnesota,

Melissa

* * *

It was now mid-November, a week before Thanksgiving. Melissa was still as moody as ever, and Jack loved nothing more than to see her worked up over the little things. It always seemed to be _something_. Today it seemed to be his singing that irritated her.

"Gimme, gimme more / Gimme more / Gimme gimme more –" he began to sing.

"Stop!" she snapped. She was on her laptop on their bed, and she did not look happy. It had been like this for two weeks – Melissa wasn't acting like Melissa. The sweet, innocent, naive blonde he used to know was turned into a wench who seemed to suffer from constant PMS.

"What about Jackalicious, eh, love?" he asked, sitting next to her over the maroon sheets. "Jackalicious definition makes them girls go looney –"

"Oh, Jack," she interrupted. "Shut up!"

Were pregnant women supposed to be moody? He had never been around a pregnant woman for long enough to know what to expect.

"Someone woke up on th' wrong side o' th' bed fer th' past seven weeks," Jack teased.

"For seven weeks, I wasn't sure if we'll be good parents, how we're going to be able to afford Amy at times, or if she'll be healthy when she's born, but all that pales in comparison now because I found out that I've gained sixteen pounds since June!"

What was it with women and their weight? They always thought they were too fat or needed to loose an inch around their waist or thigh. He would never understand women.

"I think ya look fine, love," he answered. "Ya think sixteen pounds is more than it is 'cause o' Amy in ya."

She sighed and laid down on her back. "I want my body back to myself. I want to eat for one again. I don't want to keep craving pickles and ice cream!"

Jack was thankful that he wasn't a woman. He wouldn't want to go through all the mood swings and weight-gaining that they went though.

There was a sound on her computer that signaled she had gotten an instant message. Both sat up to see that it was a message from his favorite brunette.

**Kate:** Eight more days until I see you!

Jack typed on the laptop before Melissa had a chance.

**Jack:** And believe me, darling, it will be a pleasure.

**Kate:** I was talking to Melissa.

**Jack:** Ouch.

"What are you doing?" Melissa said, taking the laptop from him. "This is mine, you can't just read what other people have sent me!"

**Melissa:** You don't know how excited I am to see you again, Kate! Will, too. The newlyweds still happy?

"Ya can 'ardly call the mister 'n' misses newlyweds," Jack said. "It's been two months."

"Technically, it goes until their one year anniversary," she said.

**Will:** This is by far the best thing that's ever happened to either of us.

**Melissa:** Hey, Will! Great to talk to you again.

**Jack:** I have missed talking to a eunuch ever so much.

"And you couldn't possibly think that's awkward for Kate to read?" Melissa asked him.

"Th' truth often is 'ard t' read."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Grow up."

**Kate:** Only time I'll ever say this: he is not!

"Wonder –" he began.

"Shut up!" she said, hitting his arm.

**Melissa:** Next Friday, you two are still coming over at noon, right?

**Will:** We wouldn't miss it for anything, Melissa.

"They're stayin' at Bootstrap's, right?" Jack asked.

Melissa nodded.

**Kate:** Question, Melissa.

**Melissa:** Yes?

**Kate: **Will and I were talking about our four favorite children's names (two for each gender) the other night and why we like them. What do you love about the name Amy?

A few weeks ago, Melissa went in to have an ultrasound to confirm that her baby was indeed a girl. She and Jack both agreed that the name would be Amy Pearl – she grudgingly added Pearl in.

**Jack:** If it were my choice, it'd be Pearl Marie.

**Kate:** A pity it's not.

**Melissa:** Amy means "loved". I just want Amy to know that, no matter what, she'll always be loved.

**Will:** That's very sweet of you to name you child because of that, Melissa.

**Kate:** I agree! Amy Pearl is a great name.

**Melissa:** Thanks, you two!

"Twenty dollars says that within a year the lady gets pregnant," Jack bet.

"Kate couldn't handle a child," she disagreed. "She's on birth control for a reason."

Jack remembered a few days after they met when he ate Kate's birth control medicine. While she had explained birth control, he had praised the gods for the wonders of this miracle pill.

**Jack:** Oi! Pearl means "pearl". It's English.

Melissa looked at him with confusion. "Could you _be_ any more stupid?"

**Kate:** Thank you, Captain Obvious.

**Melissa:** We have to go. "The Office" is on. Talk to you later, you two!

Melissa logged out of her instant messaging service and shut off her laptop, then laid down on the bed and flipped on the television. Jack was still surprised that she had semi-insulted someone.

"Did ya really mean that?" he asked.

"Of course I did," she said.

Pregnant women really _were_ different.


	55. Thanksgiving

Chapter Fifty-Five

Thanksgiving

**Forgive me for making you wait. I had no time to write this weekend. I went to a play with my friend on Friday night, then went with a guy friend (boyfriend soon, hopefully. LOL) to the same play on Saturday (**_**Man of La Mancha**_** is an awesome musical), and church stuff on Sunday.**

**I thought the first part of this was so cute...hehe. The last half is sort of filler. Read and review!

* * *

**

Melissa was sitting on the couch on Wednesday, watching a show on the Food Network about a Thanksgiving special. A hand was on her stomach, thinking about Amy. Jack would have to start talking to their landlord, Jamie, about getting the crib out of storage.

Melissa was twenty-two weeks along in her pregnancy. She was more than halfway done – she had eighteen weeks left until her due date. When she found out in July, she didn't think that her due date would ever get here. Now it was sneaking up on her.

Once her stomach had been fairly flat, now it was round with her child inside. It would grow larger as the months went on. By her due date, she would most likely feel like she was about to burst.

Melissa felt something different inside her as she rested her hand on her stomach. It stopped momentarily, then started again. It reminded her of the beating of a drum.

Beat.

Rest.

Beat.

Rest.

Was Amy kicking? This is what it had to be! Dr. Anderson, her OB/GYN, had said that the baby would start kicking at around week twenty, but she hadn't expected it.

She had to find Jack! He had to feel their daughter kicking for the first time with her! She got off the couch and went outside to see Jack getting the mail at the end of the short street.

"Jack!" she yelled from the driveway.

* * *

Jack had been out getting the mail when he heard Melissa shouting for him. He looked up from the mailbox to see her with her hand on her stomach.

"Jack!" she shouted again.

As he ran to her, he felt his heart lurch to his stomach. The impossible though of something happening to their unborn child filled his mind. Was she going into labor already? No, she said that her due date was in March. It was highly improbable that she was going into labor four months early.

Once close enough, she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. He felt something in her stomach kick at his hand.

"She's kicking," Melissa said softly, looking into his eyes.

That was Amy kicking? He let his heart slow down in the realization that his child was alive in Melissa's stomach, that they would be parents in a few months.

He swallowed. "I can feel that."

This was one of the few moments in Jack's life where he was at a loss for words. His child was living thing – it could kick. In a few months, he would be holding her for the first time in the delivery room in the hospital, seeing her breathing and crying.

Melissa's light blue eyes had tears in them. What surprised Jack was that she didn't bother to hide them this time. These weren't tears of sadness, though. These were tears of joy.

"That's Amy," she said. "I think she likes you."

Despite a tear escaping her eyes and sliding down her cheek, Melissa smiled. Jack rested a hand on her cheek and wiped it away with his thumb. As she leaned her cold body towards him, he realized that this was the one woman who actually loved him. With the love that she felt for him, they had created their child.

Jack knew that he would never love a woman. If he could, though, he wondered if, for just a moment, if this could possibly be that woman.

Jack put her arms around Melissa. He could feel Amy kicking still. Just a day from Thanksgiving, he already knew what to be thankful for.

* * *

After a photo shoot set a day early to Tuesday, thanks to the upcoming holiday, Kate and Will flew back to Minnesota on Wednesday morning to celebrate Thanksgiving with Bootstrap. They landed at Minneapolis/St. Paul International at 10:15, greeted warmly by Bootstrap. The three went back to his apartment, where the couple stayed for the night.

Thanksgiving was the next day. The three sat in the four-seat dining table, eating the traditional turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. The second glass of red wine that Kate was sipping made her warm and relaxed, even more than she usually was around her new father-in-law.

"I'm thankful for such a wonderful son and daughter-in-law," Bootstrap said, taking a sip of his wine.

Kate smiled at Bootstrap. He really was a wonderful person. She felt so blessed to have someone like him in her life.

"I'm thankful for finding something that I had lost forever," Will said.

He thought that he would never find love again when he was brought to the twenty-first century, she knew. Kate felt a tear come to her eye, but quickly blinked it back.

"I'm thankful for finding a soulmate," Kate said.

Kate was, too. She and Will were both thankful for each other. They were thankful for everything they had been through, both the good and the bad.

She knew many more blessings would be ahead of them: the only question was what would they be?

* * *

Melissa looked around at the table of the Lewes family with Jack sitting next to her. There were her two aunts, two uncles, two grandparents, and her great-aunt and great-uncle from Iowa – the same ones that she missed seeing because she was too busy having her way with Jack that weekend in July. She could hardly look them in the eye.

The pregnancy was a surprise for everyone in her family to see. Yes, she had told everyone, but she hadn't seen any of her family since her graduation party the week before she graduated in May. She found it ironic that her relatives were more accepting of it rather than her parents. Her parents seemed to be a bit hesitant to warmly welcome her, but they did – eventually.

Her family asked her how far she was now, which she said, with a smile, five months. When they asked her about the name, she said it would be Amy Pearl Lewes. She was grateful that none of her relatives asked why the name wasn't Sparrow (come to think of it, that was her parents job, she thought wryly).

"What are you thankful for, Melissa?" her father asked across the table.

She had been betrayed twice this year by the two people closest to her; at times she hadn't felt very thankful for anything. Those who betrayed her were the two people closest to her– even though they betrayed her, she loved them, no matter what.

"I'm thankful for my two life savers," she said.

"What about you, Jack?" her father asked him.

"Rum," he smiled.

Despite the laughing group, Melissa turned her head and glared at the pirate sitting on her left.

"Would I be grateful fer anythin' else, love?" he questioned.

The frightening thing was that Melissa knew that he wouldn't be.

* * *

Jack had been waiting for two months to see the Turners again – more specifically, the female one. He could tell that Melissa was eager, too. She was tidying the living room, putting magazines in the rightful spot and lighting a few candles.

The couple was supposed to arrive at 3:00. They would be taking a thirty minute bus ride from Minneapolis to Champlin, where Melissa and Jack lived. It was exactly 3:00, per the clock on the wall in the kitchen.

"Ye're obviously excited," Jack noted, watching her light the last green candle.

"I am," Melissa said. "You know, you could have asked if you could help at all. Making the pregnant woman do all the work."

"Ya ne'er asked," he said. "I assumed ya were fine."

"You know what they say about assuming," she said. "It makes an –"

The doorbell rang just as she was about to say something that was very un-Melissa, brought on by her pregnancy.

"You can get that," she said, walking back to the kitchen to put the lighter in the drawer.

"Freely 'n' gladly," he said, swaggering towards the door. He opened it to see Kate and Will smiling at each other, holding hands. He wondered what he interrupted. Did he just kiss her? Did she tell him a joke? Jack would do anything to have Kate look at him the way she looked at Will.

"Wench 'n' Whelp!" Jack said to the two, holding out his arms. "Been too long."

Both entered the house. Kate was the first to greet him. Jack pulled her into a hug. He had waited two months to have this woman in his arms, even if he had to do it in front of her dear husband. Thoughts of yesterday's moment with Melissa flew out of his head like a startled crow out of it's nest.

"Ravishin' as always," he said softly into her ear.

"I see you haven't changed," she said, pulling away, untying the belt around her hip-length trench coat. She took off the coat and handed it to him. "Not that I expected such a miracle while I was away."

Seemed that she hadn't changed, either.

"Where's Melissa?" she asked.

"Kate!" Melissa squealed from the kitchen.

Choosing not to see the reunion between the women, he turned his attention to Will. He still looked the same: he had his shoulder-length, curly hair and same confident stance.

"William," Jack said, extending a hand.

"Jack," he said, shaking it. "It's wonderful to see you again."

Polite Will. He wasn't sure if it was possible for Will to not be polite.

"And ye," he replied.

Will looked around the living room and took his coat off. "This is a lovely home," he said, handing the coat to Jack. "I assume that Melissa is the one that pushed for it?"

Did she ever.

"Just a li'l," he said.

"Sit down," Melissa said, coming toward them, a hand on her stomach.

All four sat down. Kate, Melissa, and Will sat on the couch, and Jack sat on the lounge. The girls – women, Jack had to remind himself they were _women_ – looked happy to see each other again.

"You weren't kidding," Kate said to Melissa. "You do look different."

Jack had peered over Melissa's shoulders while she was exchanging e-mails with Kate since October. One had said that she wouldn't recognize her – it sure didn't sound like she did.

"Shopping at the maternity section at Target sure is a step up from the juniors," Melissa said. "The clothes are really comfortable, though. Plus, I have an excuse to be in sweat pants more."

The only time that Jack saw Melissa in something other than sweat pants was in the morning when she was dropping him off at work on her way to college. He liked seeing her in sweat pants and a sweatshirt – she looked more relaxed.

"No, I mean...different," Kate said. "You're glowing."

"It's b'cause 'er body's producin' fifty percent more blood," Jack said. "See, th' increase in blood goin' through dear Melissa's body causes 'er face t' be brighter. Th' body's producin' 'ormones that makes 'er oil glands mad, 'n' as a result, 'er face is shiny 'n' looks like it was kissed by a rose."

Yes, Jack had read Melissa's maternity books that she got from the library. He wasn't a complete numbskull.

Kate gave him a blank stare. "It's because you knocked her up."

"Aye, I did, didn't I? 'N' I just explained why exactly she's like that way in said condition."

Before Kate could roll her eyes like everyone in the room knew that she was going to, Melissa interrupted with, "How was Thanksgiving, Will?"

"Uh...pleasant," Will said awkwardly. "It was wonderful to see my father again."

"Bootstrap!" Jack said joyfully. "'Ow's th' man?"

"He's fine," Will said.

"That's good to hear," Melissa smiled. "By the way, we've been looking at Anthropologie weekly and looking at the pictures you two have taken. Will, you're an amazing photographer."

"That's too kind of you, Melissa," he said.

"She means it," Jack chimed in.

"He is amazing," Kate said, holding his hand. "Don't know what I'd do without him, especially on those shoots."

Jack missed the four of them together. Each played an important part in their relationship. Melissa was the quiet, conservative one, Kate was the tough, independent one, Will was the whelp, and Jack...was Jack.

"We 'aven't sat like this since September b'fore the weddin'," Jack said.

"We haven't," Kate agreed. "I really missed it."

"Talking over the internet is a substitute," Will said. "Though I agree with Kate and Jack, it's not the same."

There was a silence before Melissa said, "We only have to wait a month or so to do this again, though."

Christmas! There would be plenty of drinks around Christmas!

"If you want," Melissa offered to the couple, "you can stay with us for the holidays. We have a guest bedroom upstairs for you. Jack and I would love nothing more if you stayed with us."

_We would?_ Jack questioned silently. They had never talked about this before.

A smile came upon Kate's lips. "We'd be delighted to."

Now that he knew the Turners would be over for Christmas, he could start planning on how to entertain the guests. He could take Kate out shooting at an empty field, with nothing but the snow and trees around them.

Will could talk to Melissa for a few hours, couldn't he?


	56. Stripped

Chapter Fifty-Six

Stripped

**This is the subtle turning point in the story for the Turners...although you probably won't understand for a while exactly why I wrote this. Heh. Sorry if you find it boring.

* * *

**

Kate sat nervously in a white leather chair in the Vogue offices on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, holding her portfolio tightly in her lap. She was worried if she let go of it, her hands would start shaking, which was the last thing she needed right now. The waiting room was intimidating enough as it was. A blown-up cover shot of Heidi Klum was plastered above the receptionist, who's raven black hair was pulled so tightly into a bun that it looked like her hair might be pulled out.

Why was Kate in the Vogue offices of Manhattan? Because this is precisely why she moved to New York to begin with. She wanted to get work. The answer as to whether she was going to get said work was up in the air. Kate wanted to be in Vogue – Vogue! – where the most beautiful displayed their talents. She had only been in the industry for a year and a half; she knew that she didn't have the experience that others that walked through the doors to display their portfolio did. On a positive side, she was young. Kate knew that people were always looking for young models (although she thought that models in their twenties were hardly old). Besides, her new agency, Ford, must have set her up with a meeting for a reason.

She wanted this, though. This would give her the career she always wanted. She wanted to be a successful model and travel the world. This _was_ why she moved away at eighteen.

She debated paying the long distance price to call Melissa on her cell phone. It was only 8:00 in the morning in Minnesota, she wouldn't be in her first class yet. Kate would do it, too, were it not for the fact that it would appear rather pathetic to call a friend for support in the offices of Vogue.

The phone rang by the receptionist. She answered it, then hung up and looked at Kate.

"Kevin will see you now," the receptionist said to her. "Second door on the right.

Kate stood up and opened the double door that lead to a long, blue hallway with light oak office doors dotting the sides. She opened the door and saw a bald man with rectangle glasses sitting at the desk, typing something on a computer. Kate closed the door gently behind her. The man, who she assumed was Kevin stood up and extended a hand to her.

"Kevin Simpson," he said.

Her mouth was dry. Would she be able to talk, even?

"Kate Turner," she said, shaking his hand.

He smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Kate."

She sat down at the chair across from him and set the portfolio in front of her. Her nerves grew as he silently looked through her portfolio. Did he like her pictures, or did he wonder why her agency even bothered to schedule a meeting between them?

"Tell me what jobs you've done in the past," he said, still looking through her portfolio.

"Well, I've been modeling for about a year for a store called Anthropologie," she said. "I've done little things here and there, like for a nightclub ad and a magazine."

Kate would have done anything to have Melissa to be sitting next to her right now. She needed someone who was practically a sister to her holding her hand as Kevin flipped through her pictures.

"How old are you, honey?" he asked.

"Eighteen."

She wondered if that was too young for such an elite magazine to pose in.

"How long have you been working?" he asked.

"Since I was seventeen. May of last year, to be exact."

Kevin nodded and turned a few more pages. "I like these."

Liked. Anyone could like a picture. It took talent (that she must not possess, in his eyes) to love a picture.

"Thank you," she said.

Kevin put the portfolio back on the desk. "Let me explain to you what would be in the April 2008 issue."

Her ears perked up at the sentence. Was he just casually explaining it, or was he considering having her in the issue?

"Jewelry," he said. "Rings, necklaces, earrings, you name it. All the new jewelry for spring. One part would be _Diamonds and Pearls_."

The thought of her wearing a long pearl necklace and big diamond earrings in Central Park popped into her head.

"Another would be called _Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue_. That would have rubies and sapphires."

She imagined ruby earrings and sapphire bracelets blending in with a nautical-themed outfit by a yacht.

"One would be _Ebony and Ivory_."

White and black stones would look good with a little black dress, she thought.

"It sounds great, Kevin," she said. "Really."

_If only I could tell you how bad I want to be a part of it_, she silently added.

"Your portfolio is definitely impressive, Miss Turner," he said. "I'd be a fool to rule you out. If Vogue were to offer you this job, though, changes would need to be made."

Changes? Will would never let her do this if it involved her losing weight – nor would she let herself.

"We've been envisioning the model to be a blonde for this."

A blonde? Dying her hair blonde was everything that she was against! She had never wanted to be a blonde – she would be thrown into the stereotypical blonde-and-thin pile that she swore she would never be in. Besides, she thought it would be a horrible color on her.

This is what she had to do to get her career going. She could live the life that she always wanted to, traveling the world and going down catwalks.

She could refuse to dye her hair. If she did, though, she was sure she wouldn't get the job. The last thing Kate needed was to lose this job at her own hands.

"You'd be a fabulous blonde, I don't know why no one's told you to dye your hair sooner sooner," he said. "If we just do some layering..." he leaned back in his reclining computer chair and examined her. "...yes, layering. You like Gisele Bundchen, don't you, sweetie?"

Before she even had a chance to answer, Kevin did it for her.

"Of course you do. Her style and length with...Jessica Simpson-blonde hair."

Kate felt like screaming at this man named Kevin in front of her. She was not going to go blonde! She was fine with the layered hair, she thought that she needed a change, but she would not go something as drastic as blonde when she was a chestnut brunette!

"What about the actual photo shoot?" she asked, trying to change the subject momentarily.

"A studio," he said simply.

What shocked her next was how simply he said the next statement.

"Oh, how silly of me, I forgot to add that it would be a nude shoot."

A nude shoot? Kate would be a blonde, naked in front of the camera, posing for Vogue? She felt like throwing up. Her mouth became dry again. What was she doing here? Kate didn't belong. She seriously considered thinking of leaving. She was married, she didn't want to be exposed like that, even if it was only a fashion magazine!

"Ke –"

"Before you object, sweetie, the necessary areas will be covered."

Kate wanted to be in Vogue so bad. She was sure that she would do anything to get in it. There came a point, though. She didn't care if she was covering her breasts or not, she wanted to be clothed when she was doing this!

Despite that she did not want to be a blonde exposed, Kate said, "I think it's a wonderful idea."

She was sure this would not go over with Will when she got home.

* * *

It was exactly twenty-three days before Christmas, and Jack still didn't know what to get Melissa. He knew her: she was the type of woman that said "You don't have to get me anything" when he inquires as to what they'd like for said holiday, which did not help a bit.

As he used Melissa's laptop Sunday evening downstairs in the living room, he saw that Kate was online. Why not have a talk with her? She was sure to know something.

**Jack:** Ah, Katie.

**Kate:** What?

Was she suffering from PMS and didn't want to be bothered? Then again, that girl suffered of _constant_ PMS.

**Jack:** Meow.

**Kate:** I have enough on my plate without talking to you. What do you need?

Jack could get to the point, then tease her.

**Jack:** Any ideas what to get for dear Melissa this Christmas?

There was a pause before she responded. He wondered if she was trying to think of something other than what she got Melissa.

**Kate:** Go to Anthropologie's website and look at their necklaces. She always said that she liked those. Some of them aren't too expensive. Just be sure to clear the history after you're done looking, otherwise the surprise is spoiled.

**Jack:** I may take your advice and look right now. Thank you, love.

**Kate:** You're welcome. Have you thought of the mother-and-child necklace yet?

What on earth was she talking about?

**Jack:** Come again?

**Kate:** Oh, come on! The mother-and-child necklace! You have to get her one, Jack! I was looking at one the other day, and, yes, it's unorthodox, but here's the link.

Jack opened the link and saw there was a lone pearl strung from a pink cord. It was perfect: their child would be a girl, and the middle name would be Pearl. Interesting.

**Jack:** That much free time, eh, Katherine? Sounds like ya need more than one shoot a week.

**Kate:** I'm looking because I'm stressed and I need a distraction.

**Jack:** And why would someone like you be stressed? You and dear William fighting?

**Kate:** In your dream tonight.

**Jack:** Then...you're stressed, why?

**Kate:** I am not looking forward to a photo shoot tomorrow.

She and Will had photo shoots on Wednesday usually. Perhaps she was lying.

**Jack:** And why not?

There was a pause before Kate decided to type, he saw.

**Kate:** Because it's a nude shoot.

Kate doing a photo shoot without clothing? He had to find wherever this shoot was going to be published.

**Kate:** It's awful. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I truly can't remember the last time I was this scared. It's bad enough that they sent me to the salon three days before the shoot to have "Jessica Simpson-blonde hair and Gisele Bundchen layers", but now I have to pose nude, with the exception of my hands covering the "necessary parts"! This is what could be the thing that gets me so many jobs, but, no, it has to be like this!

His incredibly intuitive sense of the female mind told him that she was in her room crying while Will sat on the couch, shooed, despite the fact that he wanted to comfort the missus.

**Jack:** Er...Take a deep breath. Tomorrow won't be as bad as you think. Your hands are covering your, er, upper lady parts. You'll be able to wear your panties if they don't get your legs in the shot, I'm sure.

He would say anything to calm a hysteric Kate. All he had to do was think like the whelp. He hoped it was working.

**Jack:** You'll laugh about this in a week. You'll laugh at how nervous you were and how you hated your Melissa-blonde hair.

**Kate:** No. I'm pretty sure I won't.

Bugger. She really _was_ terrified.

**Kate:** Please update me about you and Mel and Amy.

**Jack:** The usual. Melissa's complaining about college, not the baby, though, so I assume that Amy's doing fine. Nothing new, really.

**Kate:** I see. Would you mind if Will and I brought a gift for Amy? She's not even born yet, we know, but we thought since Christmas is coming up, we'd get it for her.

**Jack:** Sure. Do I get to open it?

**Kate:** Oh, Jack...you know how to make me laugh when I need it.

* * *

As Kate had a pearl necklace wrapped two times around her neck, she wondered exactly how the photo shoot was going to change her. Kate went blonde for this (she thought she looked rather like Melissa now – they had the same bone structure, nose, and, of course, nearly the exact shade of hair), something she had been vying for for two years. She knew that this would change everything. She would be off traveling in a few months, even.

She felt like she was making the wrong choice, though. Will had said that he wasn't going to hold her back from something that she wanted, but he hinted that he wasn't comfortable with her being stripped for this, in more ways than one. Kate argued that Vogue was edgy, but what she didn't say was that this wasn't the way she wanted to be in the magazine, either.

Kate would have given anything to have Melissa by her. She would have known exactly what to say to make her calm down.

Kate felt like crying. Were it not for the fact that her make-up was already applied, she'd go into her dressing room and let it all out. A few minutes later, she would have emerged, leave it all behind, and give one hundred percent. She _did_ have to leave it all behind, though, despite the fact that she couldn't cry to the walls. Melissa wasn't here to give her a hug, Will wasn't here to tell her that she would do fantastic, just like before every photo shoot they did together.

She realized this was the first shoot since they got married that would be only her.

It was time for her to grow up. She had to leave romanticized ideas of modeling behind. This was the real deal.

_It's time for you to grow up, Kate_, she thought to her blonde self, looking in the mirror one last time before going out to the camera.

* * *

**Next chapter: What could bring Melissa to tears just days before the holiday? And is Jack, for once, not the cause?**


	57. Flashbacks

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Flashbacks

**Happy Thanksgiving, loves! I know I'm thankful for my reviewers...hehe. Here, let's sit around the table and look at another chapter (that's right...practically all flashbacks. Just as the title says).**

**This was a very angsty chapter. It was hard for me to write because I feel awful for Melissa. No one deserves to go through what she is. I'm trying to portray real life, though.

* * *

**

_Will wondered if his wife had gotten the job yet for Vogue. She had left to take the subway to Manhattan at 9:00, and it was nearly 11:00 now. Will was spending the time looking on their e-mail account for jewelry for Kate for Christmas._

_He heard the door to their apartment open. Will closed out of the website and cleared the history._

"_Hi," Kate said to him._

_Will closed the laptop and smiled at her. He noticed she looked nervous. Automatically, he feared the worse for her._

"_How did it go?" he asked._

_Kate walked over to the couch and sat next to him. She put her portfolio on top of the laptop._

"_I need to talk to you," she said._

_Those were the six most dreaded words in the English language. Bad news was on the horizon. Would she have to go to Paris for a week or two for the shoot?_

"_What is it?" he asked, confused._

"_I'm confident I have the job," she said. "Kevin and I spoke for an hour about it, he said that he'd love if I did it."_

_Will was thrilled for his wife. This was the opportunity of a lifetime for her. She had looked forward to this for so long!_

_He smiled and enveloped her in a hug. "Kate, that's wonderful!"_

"_There's going to be a...uh, a few minor changes," she began, pulling away from him. "I'm getting my hair dyed blonde on Friday and I'm getting it layered."_

_Again, he was confused. She wasn't making much sense. Was she nervous to dye and change her hair? No matter what color or how long or short her hair was, she would always be the most beautiful woman in the world._

"_I think you'll look lovely," he said, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "You always do."_

_This couldn't be all she was nervous about. It wasn't like Kate to get so nervous over something that could be changed so easily._

"_Are you nervous about the change...?" he questioned._

_An appropriate add-on would have been "Or is it something else?"_

"_It's nude," she blurted._

_His wife, taking her clothes off – for this?_

"_I'm sorry?" he asked._

"_No, you heard right," she admitted._

_A harsh silence filled the room. Kate looked away. She looked like she just might cry if she let herself, although he had never seen her cry. It could be guilt she felt. Kate should feel guilty, though. She was married, why should she be doing this sort of a job?_

_He had to keep in mind this was for her career. But what price would both of them have to pay for it? She was going to do this in front of (most likely) a male photographer, and he was going to have to be at home, knowing exactly what she was doing._

_In a way, this felt like Cabin Weekend again. She was betraying him, and he was helpless to the situation. She was going to do what made her happy, whatever the cost._

_He shook his head. "Oh, Kate..."_

"_Will, I'm sorry, but this is my career. You knew when you married me what was going to happen. I'd have to be gone for weeks at a time, I might have to pose with a man that's not you, and I might have to take something off. This is one those mights."_

_He knew going into the marriage that he would be apart from her, but he didn't think that she would have to pose like _this_. True, he knew that it was a possibility, but he didn't think that Kate would accept a job like that._

_He knew her priorities now. The career had come before her family and Melissa by moving to New York at eighteen. Now the career had come before him, by posing with not a thing on._

"_I don't know what to be upset with," he said._

"_It would be a start if you were upset with me."_

_He didn't want to be upset with her, but he was. He was furious that she would do this to him._

"_Why are you doing this if you're going to be stripped of everything?"_

_Will didn't just mean clothes – he remembered when she was telling him before they went house hunting in August that she would never dye her hair blonde for her career. It just proved how important this was to her and how badly she wanted it._

"_Because this is important to me."_

_That it was._

"_I'm sorry for hurting you. But I'm not sorry about why I'm doing this."_

_Why did he have to love such a strong headed woman? That was why he fell in love with her, but that's what had driven him mad at times. This was different now – she was exposing her body for a photographer she didn't know and for a country who would toss the magazine away a few days after they read it. He didn't understand why it was so important to her!_

"_Look, Vogue is edgy," she said. "You look through one issue, you'll find about ten pages of people posing just like I will."_

_Yet again, she made it clear that she wanted this._

"_Kate, I can't tell you what you can and cannot do," he said. "I just wish this wasn't the way it had to happen."_

_She took his hand and looked into his eyes. He saw vulnerability and fear in those emeralds of her's, something that he hardly saw._

"_You're not the only one," she whispered._

As Will sat on the couch more than three weeks later, he found himself thinking of the talk he and Kate had. Those five words that he had whispered to her gave away more of herself than she had intended to. Will knew that she tried so hard to not have something like that happen, but she had to do this. He wasn't sure when she was going to have a chance to do something like that again, and he was not about to hold her back from her dream, despite it being under unfavorable circumstances.

He decided today would be the day to do Christmas shopping. Kate had already gotten the gifts for Jack and Melissa (she had insisted they buy Amy an outfit, even though she wasn't born yet), he knew for sure, but he intended to go out and buy for his wife today. After the two had breakfast together, he would go out for the afternoon.

He opened the laptop to make sure that no one had sent him an e-mail overnight. When he saw the background, though, he realized this was Kate's account. She must have forgotten to log off last night.

Will saw that there was one unread e-mail. He guessed that it was from Jack or Melissa. Will had always respected his wife's privacy, but something told him to open that e-mail. He knew it was wrong, that what was exchanged between her and Jack or Melissa was none of his business.

He opened her inbox, despite the fact that he knew it was wrong, and saw that it was from Melissa. What startled him was that the subject line read "HELP".

His first reaction was that something happened with Amy. Fear ran through him at the thought of Melissa losing a child that she was anticipating. No, it couldn't be anything with Amy!

He wasn't aware that Kate was even awake until he felt her running her hands down his chest while standing behind him. "Anything exciting?" she asked.

"Something happened with Melissa," he said.

Because that was the first thing anyone wanted to hear in the morning.

"What?!" she asked, pulling away and instantly taking a seat by him. She clicked on the e-mail. It read:

_Subject: HELP_

_Date: Saturday, December 16, 2007 8:15 AM EST_

_From: keep thinking that yesterday was a horrible nightmare. Life cannot be this unfair. I don't understand it. I've cried and yet I still feel as if this happened a moment ago, when it happened only twelve hours ago._

_My life feels like it's being spun out of control. It's awful. Jack has helped little. Then again, not even you could have helped me in a situation like this._

"It has to be something Amy," Kate said, immediately replying. "That's the only thing she could get upset about."

Will saw how scared and concerned his wife was. He had a feeling that she would be glued to that laptop the entire day, waiting for an answer.

The e-mail was sent at 7:15 Melissa's time. She must have either been awake most of the night or was startled by a memory of whatever it was in her sleep.

Melissa didn't deserve to have anything bad happen to her. She was a rare person that always gave and never expected anything in return. Who could have done something to make Melissa so upset?

* * *

It was Friday, December 15 – only ten more days until Christmas. Melissa was excited, she had always loved this holiday. She loved the snow on the ground, the trees, the presents, and the food that she had with her family. The smell of freshly baked apple pie compared to not even her worse pregnancy cravings.

Melissa was upstairs in what would be Amy's nursery, talking to her mother on the phone. Jack had spent last weekend painting the walls pink and was now talking to Jamie, the landlord, about getting the crib out of storage. The twin-sized bed that had been there was now in the center of the room, away from the walls.

She held the phone to her ear, looking around the room. "Do you think Grandma's doing some cross-stitching for Amy?" she asked her mother. "I thought something with her name hanging over the crib would be adorable."

"Yes, I'm sure your grandmother is thrilled to be called a great-grandma at the age of seventy to an eighteen-year-old granddaughter," her mother remarked.

Melissa had heard these comments time and time again from her own mother. They cut a deeper wound each time she heard them. She would have loved nothing more than to scream at her and say that this was her baby and she was happy that it was going to be her and Jack's, not aborted or someone else's. Besides, she knew for a fact that her grandmother was happy to become a great-grandmother. Her grandmother had always adored children, plus she could finally be something that some grandparents didn't get the chance to be! It was time to do what she always did when one of her mother's comments bit her: ignore it.

"Will and Kate are coming over. They'll be here on Thursday, the twentieth. They said they're leaving a few days before New Years Eve...the twenty-ninth, I think. Oh, and they're bringing a Christmas gift for Amy! Isn't that nice of them?"

"Nice of them to do something like that for that bastard child of your's."

Her parents's comments had been harsh before, but this one was more cruel than she thought either of her parents' could be. This was her mother! Mothers were supposed to support their children, regardless of the "mistakes" they made!

"_What_?" Melissa asked, taking a seat on the foot of the bed.

"Melissa, your father and I have been discussing a few things," her mother began. "We wish that you would consider adoption."

What was she talking about?! She knew how strongly Melissa wanted to raise Amy. While Melissa was in her sixth month, her mother was talking about adoption?

"Are you drunk?" escaped her lips.

"Were you when you conceived?" her mother asked. "What were you thinking, Melissa? A child at eighteen? How do you expect to go to college with a baby?"

Melissa was just getting furious now.

"Yes, eighteen! I'm an adult, I can make my choices!"

"But you don't know what you want!"

Melissa could feel her blood boiling like a pot of water. She felt like screaming until her lungs and voice gave out.

"Give the baby a decent home," her mother said gently. "Melissa, I'll understand how much you love the child if you give it a good home, where a family can support it and love it just as much as you would."

_No_, she thought. _It is not possible that someone else could love my own child more than I could._

"Just tell me why," Melissa said.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want me to give the baby up for adoption? Jack painted the nursery yesterday, and he's talking about a crib with our landlord right now, I'm going to buy baby clothes for it after the holidays – again, why should I give the baby up, Mom?"

Her mother's voice was as hard as a stone when she responded.

"Because you're nothing but a whore, Melissa."

Melissa now understood. Her mohter wanted the baby up for adoption because she didn't want a grandchild born out of wedlock. Did her own daughter's happiness matter? No. Apparently she thought her whorish daughter's feelings were nonexistant.

"You'll be an awful mother, juggling college and a baby. Eventually, you'll have to drop one or the other."

Melissa's throat got tight and started aching. Everything started to become blurry. She felt her upper lip trembling. Her own mother could not have hurt her this much. She couldn't be saying all these things to her. Melissa could not have been called a whore by the very person who gave birth to her.

"Neither of you talk to me for fifty years," Melissa said in a harsh voice that couldn't recognize as her own. "Chances are I won't have forgiven you until then."

Fifty years. They'd be dead by then.

Melissa hung up the phone and started crying. She was crying for Amy never knowing her grandparents – she was going to be sure that neither of them came close to her daughter. They would never see Amy at her elementary play, her high school graduation, or wedding. She was crying for herself, for the fact that her mother thought that she couldn't raise Amy and thought she was a whore. She was crying at the truth, of what her mother had kept since August.

Her father may or may not have thought she was a whore. She didn't care. He had wanted her to give Amy up and didn't think that she could take care of her own daughter. _Never_ could she give her own flesh and blood away.

Melissa threw the phone against the wall. She had never been this betrayed or hurt in her life. Her own parents were turning against her. She felt like she was being punished for something that she didn't do. Her parents were degrading her because of...what? She chose to be a mother? She was giving someone life! They should be thanking her that she didn't get an abortion.

"I'm so sorry, Amy," she said softly to her child. "I'm so sorry."

She was apologizing for both her parents and herself. Her parents' words about Amy affected only Melissa, but Melissa's actions would affect Amy for the rest of her days.

"I'm sure that all said 'n' done, Amy won't remember ya throwin' the phone 'gainst the wall when she's born," Jack said from the doorway.

Jack was back from talking to Jamie already? She thought they would at least talk together for a bit. It was why she called her mother in the first place.

She looked up and wiped the tears away that were streaming down her cheeks. A look of dread came over Jack. She knew he hated seeing women cry: it was the one thing that he couldn't handle.

"Uh oh," he said.

How many times had he seen her crying? Much more than she would have liked to, that was for sure.

"What 'appened now?" he asked.

She sniffled. "I think I just got estranged from my parents."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Do ya...need me t' do anythin' fer ya?"

"You could hold me."

Melissa scooted over and he sat on the edge of the bed with her. She put her head on her shoulder and he put his arms around her. Melissa found herself tearing up again, and before long, she found herself crying.

Make that sobbing.

* * *

Even during the night when Melissa was trying to sleep, she could still hear her mother's voice. She wanted to curl up in a ball.

What was her mother thinking right now? Did she regret it? Probably not.

Melissa made a vow to herself that she would never do something like that to her daughter. She knew that as she became a teenager and became more independent, Melissa may have to have a talk with her about what she can and cannot do, but _never_ would she speak to her daughter like how her mother did today.

Where would she and Jack go for Christmas? They weren't going to her family's house, that was for sure. Maybe they could go with Kate and Will to her family's. It was usually held at her grandmother's house.

This wasn't how the holidays usually happened for Melissa Lewes, but she knew they would never be the same after this. It would be with a little one named Amy Pearl. She would be nine months old by then. Christmas 2008 (that seemed too far away to think about) would be here, the three of them.

The thought of Amy crying during the night in just three months was hard to imagine. It seemed like a lifetime away, but it would happen quicker than she could imagine, she knew.

She could do this without her family. She had Kate, Jack, and Will. They'd be in the delivery room with her.

* * *

Melissa drifted in and out of sleep through the night. She got out of bed at around 7:00 and sent an e-mail to Kate. It was vague, but she wasn't quite sure how to explain that she had gotten estranged from her parents overnight.

After she sent it, though, she realized that it would sound like something had happened to Amy. There was nothing she could do now. She had sent it. Besides, it would make her explain and come to terms with it.

After going back to sleep for a couple hours, she woke up to see that she had gotten an e-mail from Kate.

_Subject??_

_Date: Saturday, December 16, 2007 7:58 AM CST_

_To: what's happening? Did something happen with Amy?_

Eight words.

She wrote back explaining everything: the fight she and her mother had last night and what exactly it was about. Kate replied back that she was so sorry, but so proud of her for sticking up for herself. She said that Melissa did nothing wrong, that she was right by giving the child life. Kate also repeated that she was not a whore and would be an excellent mother.

Her friend's words comforted her some. It still didn't erase the memory of yesterday, but it was good to hear reassurance that she was not the one that was doing wrong.

Happy holidays, indeed.


	58. The Four in Minnesota

Chapter Fifty-Eight

The Four in Minnesota

**I hope everyone had a good and safe Thanksgiving! Hope no relatives ruined it for you, like one of mine did for our family...heh.**

**Sorry it's a short chapter. I'm sure you'll figure out what next chapter is by the time you're done. It just gives us something to look forward to with our favorite pirate captain!

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**

Melissa waited at Gate Thirty-Four at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport at 4:00 on December 20. She had looked forward to this day for nearly a month, ever since Kate and Will had left for New York again. Melissa scanned the crowd of exiting passengers and saw a blonde woman and a brown-haired man holding hands, wheeling their suitcases behind him. The blonde looked at Melissa and broke out into a grin. Melissa had a hard time recognizing that blonde as her best friend. Now that Kate hair was blonde, she saw that they could pass as sisters. They always _had_ joked about being sisters when they were younger.

Kate hugged Melissa tightly. "It's so good to see you!" Kate said.

"I know!" Melissa said, breaking away. "I missed you so much."

Kate tucked a strand of hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear. "How are you doing with everything?"

Melissa had been getting over the fact that her parents were not going to be there for her child. It was difficult, but she was slowly moving past it.

"I'm fine," she said, mustering a smile.

Kate gave her a dubious look.

"Really. I'm fine."

Kate still didn't look convinced. She had reason to: Melissa was a horrible liar.

"If you need to talk to someone..." Kate trailed off.

This was the last thing Melissa wanted to talk about right now. It had been nearly a month since she had seen Kate – couldn't they lighten the mood?

"I will if I need to," she dismissed. "I do believe it's time we got to a house...one that involves making Christmas cookies this evening."

* * *

After leaving the airport, the three stopped at G. Will Liquors to pick up Jack from his shift at 5:00, then went to Jack and Melissa's townhouse. Jack made a dinner of hamburgers and seasoned fries. Will was surprised – he hadn't expected for Jack to make dinner, let alone make an excellent one.

Afterwards, the making of Christmas cookies began. Kate had a white snowflake-printed apron on, while Melissa had a blue-and-yellow striped one wrapped around her. He heard his wife and Melissa talking in the kitchen while they were making the dough and cutting them into Christmas trees, snowmen, and snowflakes. Meanwhile, he was talking with Jack, occasionally looking over at the women.

It appeared nothing was different in either Jack or Melissa's life. Jack said he had painted the nursery two weeks ago and had the crib upstairs. Melissa had said that she wanted the child's name to be hanging above the crib and had to start buying baby clothes. He felt a smile come upon his lips as he heard Melissa and Jack talk more about Amy

"That's wonderful how excited you two are," Will said.

Melissa smiled. "It's hard not to be."

Will could only imagine. He couldn't wait for the day that he could experience what Jack and Melissa were feeling.

"Babies on the brain, eh?" Jack asked. "Somebody wants Kate with a bun in the oven _right now_."

How could Jack possibly know that he was thinking that? Then again, this was Jack: he could pick up on anyone's feelings.

"He wants a litter, I think," Kate teased. "When we first started talking about having kids, he said he wanted ten."

He could feel his face turning red. There was nothing wrong with having ten children! Of course, it would be painful (although he wasn't sure if painful began to cover what she would feel) for her.

"Ten?!" Melissa gaped. "You're going to kill her, Will!"

"We never said that we're having ten," Will quickly defended. "We decided on two or three."

Melissa looked relieved. "Good. I'm only having one more after Amy."

Will looked at Jack, who's eyes widened in surprise. "We ne'er talked 'bout 'nother baby."

"Not with you!" Melissa said. "One of your offsprings walking the earth is enough, would you like to imagine what would happen if we had a _boy_?"

"Stop there!" Kate said, holding up her flour-covered hands.

Melissa gestured to Kate. "I rest my case."

"I bet that Amy will be in every way like you, Mel," Kate said.

Will knew that if the Lord was as merciful as he was portrayed to be, that would be the truth. He tried to envision a sixteen-year-old girl of Jack's being equally witty or drunk. Thankfully, he couldn't imagine it.

"I didn't 'ear that," Jack said.

He heard "What Child is This" playing on the radio. Christmas music was relaxing, he thought, paired with snow and being with friends. He hadn't seen snow yet in New York, but saw that there was some in Minnesota. It had been nearly ten years since he had seen snow. He almost forgot how beautiful it made even the simplest things look.

"Katie," Jack said. "E'er shot a gun?"

Kate looked up at him, puzzled, and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I can't say that I have."

"I'll show you tomorrow e'enin', if ya like."

Will was suspicious of Jack wanting to take Kate out to shoot a gun. He had a feeling that would involve him flirting with his wife in an empty field. Will blinked those ideas back – he knew that Kate would not tolerate his flirtations. He trusted her.

Kate eyed him dubiously, then said, "Alright."

Will got up to get himself a glass of water and stopped to see that Melissa was putting the trees, snowmen, and snowflakes on a pan. Kate was reusing the leftover dough to cut out more cookies. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. She turned around and put her arms around his neck. Will noticed that she had some flour on her cheekbone. He wiped it away with his thumb.

Just as he leaned in to kiss her, he heard Jack say from the living room, "No public displays o' 'ffection in th' kitchen!"

Will pulled away, only an inch from her lips, and only looked at Jack. Kate turned her head and looked at him, too. Jack only shrugged. "My 'ouse, my rules."

_Yes, I'm sure_, Will thought.


	59. Through the Smoke

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Through the Smoke

**My two pirate connections in life:**

**1) I went to my church on Sunday, and the guy sitting by us looked **_**just**_** like Norrington! It was scary. LOL.**

**2) In English class when we were reading ****The Tragedy of Julius Caesar****, one of the lines was "parley". I couldn't help but think of Pirates when I heard that. Haha.

* * *

**

Kate found herself waking up at 8:15 the next morning. It took her a moment to realize where she was. This wasn't her and Will's blue bedroom in New York. It was a white bedroom...in Minnesota at Jack and Melissa's house. She got out of bed quietly, as to not disturb Will, who was still sleeping. Kate knew that Melissa didn't have work today (there was no more college for the rest of the year for her – she took off because of the baby). She wondered if she was back from dropping Jack off yet. The house was quiet – she expected to hear some music or Melissa humming a song downstairs.

As she went towards the stairs, she glanced at Amy's nursery. The walls were a pale, feminine pink, and it was empty, save for a crib against the wall closest to the door. When she glanced at the nursery, she saw Melissa in the room next to the crib, looking down at it.

"Melissa?" Kate asked, standing next to her.

Kate noticed that Melissa looked like she was deep in thought. It was a few moments before she spoke up.

"Who am I kidding?" Melissa finally said. "I can't do this."

"Do what?" Kate asked.

"_This_," she said, gesturing to the crib. "My own mother and father think that I'll be a bad parent – I must be doing _some_thing wrong."

It broke Kate's heart to hear her talk like that. Melissa hadn't doubted herself in months about parenthood. She knew that no matter what she said, it wouldn't help someone who was doubting something so much.

"Don't think like that," she said gently.

"I feel like this is the biggest mistake I've ever made."

Melissa had never referred to Amy as a mistake before. Something was wrong with her. Kate guessed she was thinking too much about her parents's words lately.

"What if some day Amy asks why her mom and dad never got married? What do I tell her, Kate? Because Mommy was drunk, didn't use birth control, and thought that she loved someone with all her heart? That she wasn't even a thought in our mind back in July?"

Kate wondered if this had been going on for the entire pregnancy and never told her, or if this was just a sudden panic. She didn't know where to begin to reassure her. It would be easier if Kate had experience with having a child.

"I just don't know what to do," Melissa said softly.

"There's nothing _can_ do, Melissa," Kate said. "All you're going to be able to do is be the wonderful mother that all of us know that you will be. And the many years from now when Amy asks why you never got married, you'll know what to say, like Mommy and Daddy love each other, but not the way a husband and wife do."

She hoped that answered her spoken questions.

"And about you and your parents...Melissa, I have never more proud of you," Kate said. "You're finding out what's most important to you. You want to have this baby, I know you do. You're so excited, but the reality of being so close to becoming a mother will scare anyone. You're going to care for Amy and love her so much. Even though you'll hate getting up in the middle of the night for her, you'll look down at her in her crib and smile. Suddenly getting up won't so hard."

Melissa looked visibly lightened. Kate was grateful that she wasn't doubting herself as much anymore.

"Think of next Christmas," Kate said. "It'll be the five of us."

"Amy will be nine months old then."

"And Auntie Kate and Uncle Will are going to spoil her rotten when we come to visit."

Melissa sighed. "Jack and I aren't even fit to be parents. It should be you and Will. It wouldn't surprise me if he's already read What to Expect When You're Expecting."

It was no secret that Will wanted kids. So did Kate. She was young, though, and wanted to fit as much jet-setting and adventure as she could before she had a child.

"Don't talk like that. I can't keep reassuring you that you're going to be a good mother if you don't listen. You're going to give it life, it's better than what half of people our age would do in your situation. Parenthood will come so naturally to you and Jack. I'll bet you that you'll make me go fifteen miles an hour on the way home while you have Amy in the carrier in the backseat."

Melissa smirked. "Probably."

Kate had so much respect for her. When she thought about all the things that Melissa could have done to the baby, she realized how much of a blessing this was.

Melissa went to sit down on the window seat. "What if I don't have the baby the week of Easter? You wouldn't be here. What if I start going into labor while I'm at work? While I'm having contractions, I'd have to pick up Jack, drive myself to the hospital, and call Dr. Anderson to say that I'm going into labor. Just a guess, but I _think_ that something _might_ go wrong if I do all those at once."

Kate sat next to her on the window seat. She hadn't thought of what would happen if Melissa went into labor while she wasn't here. Kate always guessed that it would be during the weekend, while they were all at home, or the week of Easter. At least Melissa brought it to her attention now instead of later.

"Just leave work if you start feeling contractions and go home," Kate said. "The early labor phase lasts eight to twelve hours. You don't have to head to the hospital until the active labor phase. You discussed that with your OB/GYN, right?"

Melissa nodded. Kate started to feel thankful that doing research on pregnancy was finally helping.

"Just distract yourself," she continued. "It's only a three hour flight from New York to here. We'll be here an hour after the plane lands. Will and I will get Jack and drive you to the hospital."

Kate took Melissa's hand. She couldn't believe that they were talking about Melissa giving birth. That seemed to far away to talk about, but it would happen in less than three months.

"We're going to do this together, Melissa," she said softly. "Just like when your grandma died when we were fifteen. I went to the funeral with you and I was there every step of the way during your mourning."

"I called you at three in the morning the day after the funeral," Melissa chuckled.

"And you'll call me at three in the morning if you're going into labor," Kate said. She patted Melissa's hand. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Kate was excited for Melissa. She knew that even in her most anxious moments, Melissa couldn't wait for the baby. Melissa had always loved children. She had done wonderful in Child Development class in high school. She knew all the right things to do with children.

Who said she wouldn't be a great mother?

* * *

Evening came. After Melissa picked up Jack at work, he made the group dinner. The four talked while sitting at the round table. In a way, this reminded Melissa of the bonfire on Cabin Weekend and sitting in her and Kate's hotel room in Florida three days before the wedding. She had missed these moments so much. Those types of moments were what she caught herself thinking of when she missed Kate.

After dinner, Kate took Melissa's keys and headed towards the door with Jack, who had a Target bag filled with empty cans. "Going out shooting," she called over her shoulder. "Be back in an hour or so."

It was no secret that Jack was going to flirt with Kate. Melissa knew that Kate wasn't going to tolerate his flirtations anymore. She wondered why exactly Kate chose to go shooting with him.

"Have fun," Melissa said from the couch. Will was sitting next to her.

"Be safe," Will called after her.

The door shut behind Kate and Jack. Silence between two half-strangers filled the air. She tried to think of something to say to start conversation between them.

"How's school?" Will asked Melissa.

"College?" Melissa asked. "Oh, I'm done for the year. I only decided to go for one semester because of Amy. I'll work at Elm Creek Animal Hospital until a week before my due date, but no more of the university until fall semester."

Melissa was thankful to be done with college for the year. College was a tough transition, and being pregnant with her first child then didn't help, either.

"You're due on Easter, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, March 23. But I told Kate this morning that if the baby comes a week or two early, you two will be getting a call saying that I'm going into labor. She's decided for you that you're getting on a plane at 3:00 in the morning if Amy insists on being born."

He smiled. "If the time calls for it, we will. I wouldn't miss the birth for the world."

That meant so much to her. These were the only three people that had supported her since the beginning. These would be the ones going with her on the way to the hospital while in labor. These were the three that would be in the delivery room with her, sharing such a miracle with her.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled, then said, "If you don't mind me asking, what sort of birth is it?"

"Not a silent one," she laughed. "I plan to do a traditional birth. Only with an epidural."

"Epidural?" he questioned.

_So he _hasn't _read __What to Expect When You're Expecting_, she thought wryly.

"Pain relievers," she said. "Crowning will be agony, with or without an epidural."

Again, he seemed confused. Melissa noticed that he looked rather cute when he was confused. He tilted his head to one side slightly and frowned. She wondered if Kate tried to confuse him at least once a day just to see that look.

"Crowning is when the baby's head starts to come out," she explained.

"Oh," he said, almost as if he was regretting looking confused.

"I'll have mercy on you during the birth. I want no videotaping of it, and Kate and Jack are going to be by my sides."

Just this morning she was having doubts about motherhood and whether she would be fit for it. Now she was talking with Will excitedly about the birth. She wondered how it was possible to go from one point of view to the other so quickly.

Melissa felt a kick at her stomach. She knew Will would want to feel this. Melissa took his hand and rested it on her stomach.

"It's Amy," she said. "She's kicking."

Will's eyes kept on her stomach, a smile growing on his lips. Amy kicked a few more times until she stopped.

"You're very blessed, Melissa," he said.

She smiled, herself. "I know."

The only other time that they were alone together was when he told her that he had caught Jack cheating with Kate at the cabin back in June. That seemed like years ago. In reality, it wasn't even seven months ago. She remembered that when he shared the news, he pulled her into a hug and let her cry, even though she was sure he was feeling more pain than he was, since she had read Kate's blog entry the day before that she was in love with someone other than Will.

Now, it was six and a half months later. He was, for the first time, feeling her child kick, something he wanted to feel in Kate's stomach so badly. It was adorable to see him want a child, but both of them knew that his wish wouldn't come true for years.

They met eyes for a moment, and Melissa knew that this was no longer her best friend's husband. This was a friend of her own.

* * *

Kate almost forgot what a winter in Minnesota was actually like. New York had been mild, with warmer temperatures than were usual in her home state. There was snow on the ground here, and if she were to guess, it was about zero degrees outside. She had grown up in blizzards and temperatures that, at times, went into the sub-thirties. The sub-freezing temperature was nothing new to her.

Kate looked down at the cold, heavy metal in her hands. The pistol was so old, but yet it was new. Any collector or antique shop would pay wonderful money for something like this – something that Jack could use on the baby. Working at G. Will Liquors didn't pay good money, even if he liked it. She made a mental note to talk to him later about working at somewhere like Target. That was within walking distance from their house.

They arrived at the shooting range just minutes ago. Jack had given her the gun to hold and only hold while he went to set up the target – an empty beer can on a wooden post about twenty feet away.

"Th' first thing ya do is assess yer target," Jack said to her. "Tell me what yer target is. I'll give ya hint – it's not me."

She smirked. "You say that as if you don't trust me, Captain."

Why had she called him Captain? She supposed out of playfulness.

"After th' many times ya could've shot me with this 'ere pistol, I don't. Why should th' two of us in an empty field make th' likelihood any different?"

As much as she wanted to sometimes, she was sure she couldn't shoot Jack Sparrow. Not even after Cabin Weekend did she feel like she could. Even if, in a bizarre turn of events, she shot him, she was sure her fire wouldn't kill him. It would go into his shoulder, with her aim.

He brought the gun to eye level, her arms extended forward. "Now ya aim fer th' target. Which is o'er there. Th' beer can. Not behind ya."

If it was anyone who should be acting nervous, it was her. He had brought _her_ here, although his likelihood of killing her was even less than her killing him.

"I won't shoot you," she said, craning her neck around. "I was in dance for a reason all those years. I can't throw a baseball for my life."

"I'm not nervous," he said.

What a liar.

"Uh...close yer eye. Yer left eye, seein' as yer a righty. Gives you better aim. A helpful thing t' know when ya come t' murder me after I try kissin' ya in this 'ere field."

Whether or not that was sarcasm, she wasn't sure.

"I will not shoot you!" she said.

_Although that may change if you _do_ try kissing me_, she thought.

"That's a rather good thing t' 'ear when yer 'oldin' a pistol, Kate."

She was getting colder the longer they were bantering. Melissa and Will were in a warm house, probably talking about the baby and sipping hot chocolate.

She envied them.

"Turn around and focus on the target," he said.

She turned around and closed her left eye, aiming the pistol at the can.

"Th' pistol should be touchin' the bottom o' the can."

"It is."

"Then..."

She could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. He cocked the pistol for her.

"Shoot, darlin'."

She pulled the trigger until she felt the gun go off. The firing was loud and frightened her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt thrilled once she had shot, though, even though she missed her. It was something new and exciting. Kate could never resist something like that.

"'Ow bout we aim fer the _can_ this time?"

Had Jack ever thought about taking Melissa out to do this before she became pregnant? If he knew anything about her, he wouldn't have.

Jack helped her get her aim right (which she noticed, included more help than last time), then she shot again. She was surprised to see that she hit the can the second try. She smiled and turned around to see that Jack was still as close to her as before. Their hands were still touching on the gun, and she could feel his breath still, coming out in puffs.

"Thank you," she said.

"Glad ya came back t' Minnesota?" he grinned. "Got some quality time with Cap'n Jack in."

He thought that she was still interested in him! What nerve! He continued to flirt with her, even though she was happily married?

"I didn't come back for you!" she said, backing away from him, handing him the gun. "I came back for Melissa and Amy."

Kate had slapped him only twice in the six months they had known each other, but two was not nearly enough.

_That cocky son of a bitch needs to be put in his place_, she thought.

"Mm-hmm," he said, obviously unconvinced.

"I will say this one last time, then we will never speak about it again. I do not love you. What I did with you last summer was a mistake. There's not a day that goes by where I wish that I hadn't kissed you and fallen for you the way I did."

There was an awkward beat of silence.

"But I like ya how people that like each other like ya," he said.

"No, you like the idea of liking me so much that you think you like me. You like the idea of us being together. You like the fact that I'm something you can't have. Once you'd have me, you'd lose interest in me. You like how I look. You like that I'm now a blonde. Just like Melissa."

Kate had said everything she needed to. She did everything in her power to try and convince him that he truly did not like her. By his unchanged expression, though, she guessed that it didn't work.

"You don't like me, you love Melissa," she said softly, looking him in the eye. "You wouldn't have been single for this long if there was something that held you back from moving on."

Jack sighed and went to the post. She followed. He put the pierced beer can in the bag with all the other cans. She guessed that they were done for the night.

"I don't," he said.

Kate wasn't sure if he was telling the truth. She knew that Jack had never loved someone. He had only said that he loved Melissa to bed her. But if he really didn't love her, he would have found someone else by now.

"Have you _ever_ loved a woman?"

"Physically? Well...duh!"

He needed to get his head out of the gutter.

"You've never loved a woman like Will loves me?"

"Uh...no. Don't intend to. Have I been infatuated and lusted someone? Yes. You know from experience, dearie."

His actions toward Melissa certainly didn't seem like he was infatuated with her.

"You're only friends?"

"I could ne'er be anythin' more with her."

She was not angry that Jack didn't love Melissa. As far as she knew, Melissa didn't bear those feelings towards him, either. The thing that (still) made her angry was that he never loved her, and yet he deceived her. As a result, he had a child with Melissa on the way, something she was near positive that he didn't expect before things changed between them.

"I know you couldn't."

* * *

Jack tried to sleep that evening. Lying next to Melissa, he couldn't. His words to Kate rang through him like a bell.

_Have I been infatuated and lusted someone? Yes._

He had been infatuated and lusted Melissa. It was at _Live Free or Die Hard_, he remembered it perfectly. Had he ever loved her? No. Had she loved him? Of course. She was pure and...virginal before they met.

Jack would always consider her a friend. She had done nothing wrong to him. Had they fought a little too much while she was in love with him? Perhaps. But it got amusing to see her try and prove her point when she was horrible at defending her point of view. And she _did_ look ravishing when she was angry.

In the dark, he could see the faint outline of her stomach. Gingerly, he put a hand on her stomach. He could feel Amy kick. His heart seemed to stop for just a few moments. He still couldn't accept the fact (in a wonderful way) that was his child in there.

He would be ready to raise this child with Melissa. Although, come the time when Amy would spend the weekend at his house, he wouldn't keep as tight as a grip on Amy as Melissa would.

What about her bringing her first boy home? Or when she would have PMS? Or when he embarrassed her in public?

A smile came on his lips at all the thrills he could have with parenthood.

* * *

**Two quick things: I added a poll on my profile. I'd love to hear what you think with that! And I finally got around to putting a homepage up. Feel free to check that out, if you like.**

**Okay, click that purple button at the bottom, you hear?**


	60. Apologize

Chapter Sixty

Apologize

**Sorry for the delay! I had to wait a few days to begin typing because my parents were trying to set up a laptop for me. As you can tell, it's all set up. Except I have to download AIM. And I still have to go on to to get my mail and reviews. But other than that, everything's up and running!**

**Don't own the title of this chapter. One Republic and Timbaland do.

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**

Melissa had managed to forget for one day about what had happened with her ties between her family. She had preoccupied herself with having Kate and Will in her company, and hearing Jack share yet another one of his pirate misadventures over dinner.

The day before Christmas, she began to realize that she wouldn't be spending Christmas with her parents. Through the day, she expected that they would call and apologize and ask if she would still come. No apology could make up for what her mother said to her. She wasn't sure if she could ever bring herself to talk to her parents again. It certainly didn't seem like they were eager on making ammends. They hadn't bothered to reach her for nearly a week and a half. Melissa wondered if they were fine with having her out of their lives. If they weren't, they weren't making an effort to make things better.

Christmas was the most difficult day for her since their bitter seperation. This was the one day that family came together and put aside differences. Apparently she was no longer family, nor could they put their differences aside for a day. Melissa realized that her parents, the two humans that raised her, had fully seperated themselves from her. The rest of her holidays would be spent with Jack and Amy.

Her view of her parents changed completely the past ten days. She had always thought that they would be there for her, no matter what. The day that she left home, her mother had said that she didn't have to leave. She thought that she was accepting her future grandaughter.

Melissa thought wrong.

She began to dread going to Kate's house. Her parents were so nice towards Melissa, and they all would be so happy, in contrast to her, melancholy, wishing that she was celebrating Christmas with her family.

The group exchanged gifts downstairs at around 10:00 in the morning on Christmas Day. Jack got Will a plastic sword from the toy aisle, Melissa got a shirt that said "Spring" on it from a maternity store, and Kate got a shirt that said "Please Don't Feed the Model". Kate got Jack a small model ship that looked like the Black Pearl, Will got a watch, and Melissa got the "Miracle" Celine Dion CD. Melissa was glad to get that -- she would listen to it constantly after Amy was born.

With a sigh, Kate handed Amy's gift to Jack (she guessed there was an inside joke with that). He unwrapped it and saw that it was a pink onesie with a small, embroidered duck on it. For a few moments, Jack just looked at it blankly, with a hint of wonder in his eyes.

"It's small," he finally said.

"That will be the size of our unborn child," Melissa reminded. "Thank you, you two."

Melissa gave Will a bottle of Cool Water cologne, Jack got a shirt with a skull-and-crossbones mark, and Kate got some peppermint lotion. Will gave Jack a bottle of Obsession cologne (cologne -- the idea of Jack spraying it on made her laugh), Kate a bottle of ck IN2U perfume (it was what she always wore-- it smelled like grapefruits), and Melissa got a gift certificate to Gap Kids. Melissa was grateful that Will thought of Amy before herself. She would need all the help that she could get with things for the baby.

After the group exchanged gifts, everyone went to get ready to go to the Sims's house. Melissa put on a light brown empire waist top and black pants, then went into their master bathroom to do her makeup

She was applying her lip gloss when she heard Jack say, "Ye've barely talked."

Melissa looked up to see him walking into the bathroom. She was aware that there was an echo in the bathroom, the Turners would be able to hear their conversation if they were too loud.

"Can you blame me?" Melissa said softly, closing the lip gloss tube.

"Still thinkin' 'bout yer parents?" he asked.

"How can I not?" she replied.

She had been able to put these thoughts at the back of her mind for a day. Today, they were spewing like lava from a surpressed volcano.

She sighed in frustration. "It's just not fair."

Melissa could feel a lump forming in her throat again. She hated how much she cried. She blamed it on the pregnancy. Melissa slammed the tube against the counter.

Melissa knew life was not meant to be fair. Things were not always supposed to go her way. Was it so hard to ask that her parents stay by her, though?

Jack must have known what she was talking about, since he said, "Do ya need a hug 'gain?"

"It's not your problem to make it better," she said, turning to face him.

To her surprise, she saw a pair of outstretched arms. "Come on. Ya want a hug."

"No, I do not want a hug."

What did Melissa want? She wanted a time machine. She would have done things so much differently. For starters, she never would have bought that medallion. That piece of cursed Aztec gold was starting to ruin her life!

"You know what I _do_ want?" she asked. "I want to go back to June. I want to have never kissed you. I want to have never taken you back when you were _this close_ to sleeping with Kate. I want you to have never told me that you loved me more than rum. Why? Because if none of those hadn't happened, I wouldn't be pregnant with your child, and I would be celebrating Christmas with my parents!"

Was it right for Melissa to blame everything on him? No. Did he have some role in being estranged from her parents? Yes. But it did take two, and Melissa knew that she was far from innocent. She felt bad the instant it came out, but tried not to let it show.

Jack didn't seem hurt -- not that she expected him to. She had never hurt him, even when she tried to. His face had the same trademark grin on. How could he be grinning right now?

"Pity that they don't make time machines," he said.

Life didn't seem to play out in her favor.

* * *

Will had managed to avoid his father-in-law for three months. He respected Richard Sims and always would -- he permitted him to marry his daughter. That didn't mean that he enjoyed spending time with him.

Christmas dinner wasn't as awkward as he anticipated it would be. Mr. Sims made eye contact with him, then asked how he and Kate were doing in New York. He replied that they were doing wonderful.

Will's eyes often strayed to Melissa. She didn't seem like herself, though she was trying to appear so. He supposed that she was thinking about the Christmas that could have been with her family. He thought that he heard Melissa and Jack exchanging words this morning while getting ready to go to the Sims's -- perhaps they got in another argument?

Will, who was sitting next to his wife at the dinner table, leaned over and said to her, "Is Melissa alright?"

"It's because of the holidays," she responded. "This isn't the family she wants to be with."

He felt horrible for her. She wanted so desperately to be with her own family. Will still had a hard time believing that her parents had done that to her. He knew that she was a good person and didn't deserve anyone saying those words to her, much less her own mother.

As the saying went, though, bad things happened to good people.

* * *

After the dinner, Kate pulled Melissa aside into her old bedroom that evening. Kate could hardly recognize it as a room that she grew up in. She even met Will in here -- not exactly the place she pictured finding her husband. It's walls were still the same blue, but there was no bed or dressers. Instead, there was a computer and a desk.

An office. Her bedroom had been turned into an office. Why didn't they just find a smaller house already? It was a little too big for the three of them when she lived at home, but now it just seemed empty to have two people living here.

"This was a bad idea," Kate said. "I'm so sorry, Melissa, I know it should have been the four of us at your house, but I haven't seen my parents --"

"You don't have to apologize, Kate." Melissa sat down on the computer chair and looked out the window. Kate took at the edge of the light oak computer desk. She couldn't help but feel that this was partly her fault. Seeing a family who didn't hate her and her unborn child couldn't help.

"Are you saying that because you don't want me to feel guilty?" Kate asked.

"Truthfully?"

Kate nodded.

"It was good for me. If I had stayed home with Jack while you and Will came here, I would have wanted to call my parents and go over to their house."

"And neither would result in a pleasant outcome?" Kate guessed.

Melissa nodded. "If I didn't resort to calling, I would have resorted to eating too much Ben & Jerry's."

"There is no such thing as too much Ben & Jerry's," Kate reminded playfully. She then sobered. "I'm glad you came here, though."

Her mother had been thrilled to see that Melissa came to Christmas. She had even greeted her warmly with a hug and talked with her before the meal. Kate wondered if Melissa was reminiscent of how her own mother had been at Christmases past.

She smiled. "I'm glad I came, too."

Kate returned the warm smile that Melissa had given her.

"How would you like it to be us five next year?" Melissa asked.

Kate laughed. "That would be indefinitly better than having my commodore uncle ask if we want to use his cabin again this summer."

She had felt guilty all over again when her uncle brought the possibility of going up to his cabin again. Kate couldn't get "no" out fast enough, it seemed. For just a moment, she was brought back to that June weekend. She couldn't meet Will's eyes for a few moments after he offered, nor Jack or Melissa's. Neither of the three (Melissa, Will, and her) could be paid to go back, although she was sure that Jack would go back in a heartbeat.

"I do believe I'm inclined to acquiese to your request," she smiled. "One condition."

"Name it."

"You stay out of the kitchen."

Melissa laughed. "_That_ I can handle."

Kate could see that Melissa was doing just fine now. Christmas was difficult for her, Kate knew, but it was a release, at the same time. She was trying to move past her parents and live her own life, which was exactly what she was doing.

Kate had never been more proud of her.

* * *

After Kate came back to the living room with Melissa, she saw half of her family was scattered around the living room, each in their own conversation. Kate saw Jack entertaining three of her younger cousins, who were sitting on the floor in front of him, wide-eyed. He was sitting at one end of the loveseat. Will was playing cars with her other cousin, a five-year-old, Nick.

"Th' Kraken...now, that was Davy Jones's beastie," Jack said, making his story to her younger cousins even more effective by large hand movements. "'E unleashed it whene'er 'e needed someone fer 'is crew. 'N' one pirate made a dishonest trade. 'E said 'e would serve a 'undred years on th' Dutchman t' 'ave 'is ship fer thirteen years. But the pirate...do you think th' pirate kept 'is promise?"

"No," the children said in unsion.

Kate looked at her husband, who looked quite content to playing with Matchbox cars with her youngest cousin. He would make a wonderful father someday. He had a smile on his face and was adding sound effects whenever the cars sped up or crashed.. She half-listened to Jack retell what was known as _Dead Man's Chest_, unbeknownst to her young cousins.

"What was the pirate's name?" her eight-year-old cousin, Carter, asked.

"Smith," Jack said. "Smithy, if ya prefer."

Her seven-year-old cousin, Luke, looked at Kate with a big smile. "Katie, can Jack come over for more holidays?"

"We'll see," Kate said, sitting on the sofa, facing Jack. She was glad that the children liked Jack.

She wondered if this what he would tell Amy. Would he ever tell her that Smithy really was Jack? Would he even tell her these stories of Smithy at all?

"Please?" Carter asked. "He's a really good storyteller!"

"Is he, now?" Melissa asked, sneaking a glance at Jack. She sat down on the sofa, between Jack and Kate. "Well, he does have quite the imagination."

"Yeah, he is!" Carter said. "Jack's awesome!"

Of course, they were going to warm up to Jack. Everyone did. She could only wonder if he was going to mention how exactly Smithy went to the Kraken. Knowing him, he would make Smithy honorable and say that he went to the Kraken himself, only to get on the good side of the children. Being betrayed never did go well in children's stories.

"What happened next?" pushed four-year-old Joey.

Kate half-listened to how Smithy landed on Cannibal Island and his miraculous escape while he was about to be roasted while she watched Will. She began to wonder when they would have their children. Seeing how much he loved them made her want a child of their own. Maybe they wouldn't have to wait for children the eight or ten years that she had initially thought. They would have been married so long by then -- even eight years was a long time to be married and not yet have a child, despite the fact that she would be twenty-six.

Will looked up and met her eyes. The smile was still on his face. They looked at each other for a fleeting moment before Will turned back to Nick and said something. He then got up and went to her.

"Don't stop for me," she said. "Go play with Nick some more."

"I came to ask if you wanted to take a walk."

It was cold out, but they hadn't been alone since they arrived. It would be wonderful to have some time alone with him on Christmas.

"I do," she said, getting up. She went to her parent's room to get their coats and put them on. She told Melissa that they'd be back in a while, then went out the door.

The street was quiet. Freshly fallen snow of the day before added yet another layer of snow to the grass. He reached for her hand and kissed it, then laced his fingers through her's.

Kate hadn't thought about the what-could-have beens for a while with them, but now they came into her mind. She had thought about leaving Will, who would have been her fiance, behind to go to New York back in summer. They would only be seeing each other now for the second time since she left. She couldn't have handled that. What was she thinking then, suggesting that they try a long distance relationship?

The only thing worse than that would have been if they decided to take a break. Only now would they have been seeing if they would get back together. It seemed like so long ago that they had broken up, but it was only six months ago. Things might not have been the same between them.

She found herself feeling grateful again that she found someone as forgiving as him.

"I see that you met Nick," she said.

"I did," he smiled.

"You like him?"

"I do."

They walked to the pond near her old house, the same pond where she first said that she loved him and where they danced. This held so many memories. It was a place where she didn't think about much, but kept a close place in her heart.

They stopped at the pond. It was dark out, but the moon reflected on the water, making it sparkle. She found it ironic that the first place that she said she loved him was near water, and they got married at the ocean.

He pulled a light blue jewelry box out of his coat pocket. Why did he get her something more? He had already given her perfume!

"Merry Christmas, darling," he said, handing her the box.

"Will, I can't accept this," she said. She didn't take the box from his hands.

Apparently, he wasn't about to take no for an answer. He opened the box for her and revealed a silver heart pendant. She surpressed a gasp when she saw it. She hadn't expected something like this as a gift.

He took the necklace out of the box and put it around her neck. She hardly noticed that the silver necklace and his hands were cold. He took her hands and held them.

"It's always belonged to you," he said softly. "Will you keep it safe?"

She nodded and pulled him into a hug. "Yes."

* * *

After Kate had left, Melissa was left to sit with Jack and hear him tell the story of _Dead Man's Chest_ to Kate's little cousins. Jack was immortalizing Smithy as a hero, one who bravely went into the Kraken, but not without a swordfight or two first.

Once she gave him the chance, Melissa realized he was good with children. He knew how to entertain them and make them want more stories than he could retell. Eventually, Jack told them to go elsewhere for a story. They were given some time to talk, although that was not something that Melissa wanted to do after the morning that they had.

She was feeling guilty for getting angry at him earlier. It wasn't all his fault, and she knew that to begin with.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said. "It wasn't right of me to say that it was your fault."

"It does take two t' tango, though," he said.

"I was just sensitive because it was Christmas and my parents hadn't spoken to me. It's not your fault that they're not talking to me. So...I apologize."

"Apology accepted, as always," he chuckled. "Ye always come 'round. 'N' I can ne'er stay mad at ya."

It's true. She always did come around (too quickly for her own good, she knew), and he could never stay mad at her, only amused.

"Merry Christmas," she said to him.

"Merry Christmas," he grinned.

* * *

**Next chapter: Could Beckett be returning? What new surprises could possibly be next?**

**By the way, my birthday's on Tuesday, so extra reviews would be nice!**


	61. Hello and Goodbye

Chapter Sixty-One

Hello and Goodbye

**I'm so sorry for the long wait. I wasn't sure how to write this chapter for the longest time.

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Kate and Will left to go back to New York on December 29. It was hard to say goodbye to them at the airport after the nine days they spent together. It just made her look more forward to the birth -- they would see each other again, and, more importantly, Amy would finally be welcomed into the world.

Melissa was in her third trimester already. This was the final stretch until she gave birth. Her life would change in thirteen weeks. She was ready for it, though.

It seemed like no time at all had passed since she became pregnant back in July. It was three days away from 2008 now. Time had flown by. A year ago she was halfway through her senior year of high school, sending her admission essay to the University of Minnesota. She had spent her previous winter break trying to get it just so -- Kate had to drag her away a few times, even, to give her a break.

The day they left, she thought of the Turners, who were settling back in New York. She missed the four of them talking about whatever piqued their interest. Each had their own personality, which made the conversations all the more interesting.

While she looked at the nursery, Melissa thought back to Christmas when he was entertaining Kate's younger cousins. She saw how their eyes lit up while he told them a slightly altered version of _Dead Man's Chest_. He was beginning to trust that he would be a good father. Just the thought of him telling Amy the story of Smithy someday made her smile.

After some dinner, she went upstairs to read. She pulled out a book from the library that she had gotten shortly before Kate and Will arrived. She settled on her bed and opened it.

She didn't get past the first paragraph when she heard her cell phone ringing on her bedside. She put her ribbon bookmark back in to mark her page and picked up her Razor. The number on the display was one that she didn't recognize. She assumed it was a wrong number, but answered it anyway.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Yes, may I speak to Melissa Lewes?"

Melissa recognized that voice all too well. She sat next to the owner of it for three hours on a flight from Miami to Minneapolis. She sat across from the owner of it for more than an hour at Olive Garden.

"Beckett?" she asked.

"Ah, so you do recognize me," he said. She could hear the faint smile in his voice. "It's been a while. Three months?"

Yes, and it was three months well spent away from awkward dinners and plane rides.

"It has been," she said.

"How are you and the child?"

He was asking about the well being of her and her child? It half surprised her that he was asking that. He must want something, that's the only reason he would ask that.

"We're fine," Melissa said. "How are you doing?"

"Quite fine, myself."

She hated their awkward conversations. He was so stiff and she was too young. If someone ever followed their every move together, she was sure that person would find it amusing.

"What are you doing for New Year's?" he asked.

"I'm just staying home," she said, looking at the black car on the cover of her book. "Jack and I are going to watch the ball drop in New York on TV together. What are you doing? Going to a party with your fellow counselors?"

"A gathering of sorts, yes," he said. "And I'm wondering, since you didn't have any plans...if you'd be interested in going with me."

He couldn't be serious, could he? She thought that he had gotten the hint all these months that she wasn't interested in him by not calling him. Wasn't it common sense that a man does not ask a woman on a date (Olive Garden didn't count -- it was a _friendly dinner_) when she is six months pregnant with a child that's not his?

"Beckett, I really don't want to be in a relationship right now," Melissa said. "I'm six months pregnant with mine and Jack's child."

"What about after you give birth to Jack's child?"

He just didn't get it, did he? Melissa was pregnant and hadn't called him -- that didn't mean _anything_ to him?

She was going to let him down gently. He obviously had feelings for her, and she didn't want to hurt him...although breaking Cutler Beckett's heart seemed like such an impossible thing to do. That would be like trying to break the rock that his Creator had put in chest where his heart should have gone.

"I'm not the kind of girlfriend you would want," she said. "I'm going to be focused on getting my degree and raising Amy at the same time. My daughter will be my first priority. I won't be able to go out at night, much less spend the night at your house."

Melissa wasn't completely stupid. His intentions toward her weren't innocent, just like Jack's hadn't been. This time, she knew what to look for -- she had never been with a man who was interested in anything past kissing before Jack.

"I could come to your house," Beckett said.

Melissa was speechless. What didn't he understand? Melissa was going to live with the father of her child, there was no time for him spending the night, even if she wanted him to. He had some sort of experience with women -- it was typical that, if they were interested, they would talk to them more than once every three months.

"I'm not interested in you!" she nearly screamed, her knuckles turning white from gripping the phone so hard. Melissa felt anger bubbling inside her. If she let herself, she knew that she could call him something -- anything. Were it not so juvenille, she could call him a booty-caller.

There was an eerie silence between them after she said those words. Beckett didn't speak, nor did she. She didn't feel bad for being so blunt. He needed to hear it, and besides, she could have said it in a much harsher way.

"You will regret this, Melissa."

The first thing that she thought of was that he would literally hurt her. He could find out where she lived and worked and come to attack her. That didn't seem like something he would do. They had never been that involved for him to get jealous of her rejecting him.

Her mind came to a more reasonable conclusion: she would literally regret turning him down. Beckett thought that she would never find someone better than him, the arrogant man that he was. He thought that she was going to wake up tomorrow wondering why he had said that and call him, apologizing, and saying that she would go to the party with him.

Cutler Beckett would have to double check his sanity if that was what he meant.

"Amazing," she said to herself, closing her phone.

What had she ever been to Beckett? Had he just been something that he thought that he could play around with after dinner a few nights a week?

Melissa was not going to be in a relationship for a long time. She was tired of guys. Jack had only said that he loved her because he wanted to sleep with her. However, he was still one of her closest friends and planned of living with him. Beckett was a little less than subtle in what he had in mind for a relationship. _I could come to your house_?

"I do have an uncanny ability fer knowin' when th' female mind is troubled."

That Jack did, Melissa realized as she looked up to see Jack coming to sit by her on their bed. She didn't feel like talking to Jack of all people about a jealous Cutler Beckett. In fact, the idea almost seemed comical.

"You do," she chuckled.

"And is there a reason _why_ I felt that a female mind in this household -- Amy discluded -- was troubled?" he asked, her brown eyes meeting her blue eyes.

"Just that the one and only Beckett threw a hissy fit because I said that I won't go to a New Year's party with him."

Jack seemed to enjoy this. Beckett upset over a girl? The situation did seem funny, now that she got to see a friend's reaction.

"Love," he laughed, "that might o' been one of the funnier things ya e'er said t' me, as disturbin' as that is that Beckett wants ya on 'is arm fer New Year's festivities."

"Yes, but what troubled me was how he reacted."

"Throwin' a 'issy fit..." Jack mused. "I s'ppose 'earing a grown man throwin' one could disturb someone. Troubled, eh?"

Melissa knew that Beckett was upset about, for once, not getting what he wanted. He would just have to deal with the fact that she did not want to be in a relationship with anyone, much less him.

"He just said that I would regret my decision, is all," he said.

Jack rolled his eyes. "'N' that troubled ya? Mel...this is what 'e did t' me fer refusin' t' bring slaves t' Jamacia."

Jack pointed to the branded P on his right forearm. Melissa had once asked him if that hurt. He had only shrugged.

"Now, what could 'e _possibly_ do when ya declined 'is invitation t' a get-t'gether?"

Jack was right. He usually was.

She chuckled. "I suppose he won't stop calling me until I say yes," she chuckled.

"And then New Year's will come --"

"And he'll be all alone," she finished.

Both looked at each other. She was surprised to see she had just finished a sentence of his. She was even more surprised to see that she had a grin on her face.

As quickly as they had met eyes, they burst out in laughter.

* * *

Jack lay next to Melissa that evening. He looked at her figure, breathing unevenly, still awake. The half moon's light streaming through their curtains illuminated her uneven breathing. She was still awake.

Today was one of the first times that he had seen Melissa happy after she seperated herself from her parents. She had smiled after he had poked fun at Beckett for her -- he did that to see her smile.

Smile she did.

Jack began to wonder if he was confused with his feelings with Melissa. Some days he would like her, and some days he would feel like they were only friends. What worried him was that a child would change things between them. He wondered if he would feel different toward her after Amy was born, that for some reason a child would build the feelings that he hadn't felt towards Melissa for months.

Questioning himself if he was confused made him even more confused.

He wondered why Melissa was still awake. Was she confused with her feelings, too?

Jack Sparrow began to realize he was pathetic. He was staying up at night, wondering if the off-and-on object of his desire was desiring him back. What was he, the Whelp?

"Jack?" Melissa asked softly.

"Aye?" Jack said.

"Do you have a New Year's Resolution yet?" she asked.

Why would Captain Jack Sparrow do something as ridiculous as a New Year's Resolution?

"Should I?" he replied.

"I have a few for you," she said, rolling over to face him.

What Melissa Lewes would expect him to change about himself for next year feared him greatly.

"Take the dreadlocks out and cut your hair."

This woman was mad. These were his dreadlocks!

"But --" he began to protest.

"Are you even _aware_ that you have a bone stuck in your hair? Anyone on the street would think you enjoyed you meal at KFC a little too much."

No. He was not taking out his dreadlocks and cutting his bloody hair!

"You can keep the accent," she continued, "but...no more 'savvy' or 'aye'. Alright?"

This was unfair. Brutal, this was.

"But, love...Cap'n Jack Sparrow, 'ere!"

"I don't see your point."

She chose not to, that was all.

"Get a better paying job. We live a third of a mile within a Target. Being a cashier there pays more money than G. Will Liquors."

_That_ was just enough. He could cut off his dreadlocks if she asked very nicely, and he could alter his speech if she wished, but he did _not_ want to give up his job at G. Will Liquors!

"Mel --"

"We have a baby on the way," she said, propping herself up.. "A seven-dollar-an-hour-job with my twelve-dollar-an-hour job will not cut it. If your pay gets boosted to nearly the same level as mine, that will make all the difference. As much as you may like it at G. Will Liquors, I think Amy is a little more important than your precious alcohol."

That...wench! He loved working there! He worked in a place that sold alcohol. It was like a tavern! A wonderful, glorious tavern! So what if it was important to Amy and Melissa?

"No," he said. "I have sacrificed things this year fer ye 'n' Amy. I won't do another thing!"

"_You_? Sacrificing? What could _you_ possibly have sacrificed?"

She made herself sound like the victim.

"What did _you_ sacrifice?" he asked.

"Uh, lets see," she said sitting up. "My virginity, my body, my weight, my _youth_..."

She thought he was the only one that gave up something.

"You gave up what, again?" she asked.

"'Ours of my life that could o' been spent doin' something fun," he said. "I read th' baby books fer ya! Savvy? I read What to Expect When You're Expecting, The Everything Pregnancy Book, I even read Parenting for Dummies!"

"So you read some books!" Melissa said. "Do you have a child growing inside you?"

"I gave up my bachelorhood!"

Even in the dimness of the room, he could see that she was hurt by what she said. She pursed her lips and looked right at him. It was the truth. He wanted to be in his daughter's life, and a woman would keep that from him, he knew.

"Then if it's so horrible to care about your child, leave," she said softly.

Jack was not going to leave. He promised her that he would take care of Amy. Jack cared about Melissa, too -- he couldn't stand to see her devestated.

"It's not horrible," Jack said. "'N' I'm not leavin'."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Melissa's lips, then drew them into a thin line and nodded, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She was looking down at the bed covers. "Thank you."

All was calm between them again. He could no longer feel her anger in the air like the electricity in the atmosphere during a storm on a summer night.

"Why did ya want me t' resolute t' so much this year?" he asked her.

"Amy," Melissa said simply. "Having a dad with dreadlocks and saying 'savvy' isn't exactly what she'd want to bring to parent-teacher confrences when she's older."

* * *

Kate had always wanted to see New Year in Times Square. Actually being there was a different level. The aura of it was pure excitement. Lovers were in each other's arms, friends in groups were bundled up, looking at the ball slowly dropping, the sign below changing numbers every second. She watched with Will, the other's arm wrapped around the other's waist, while the numbers changed from sixty to fifty, to fourty, to thirty, to twenty, then to ten.

Melissa would have loved this. Kate had always pictured it someday as the two of them standing here. She had never thought about being here with a husband, much less having one with her at eighteen.

She wondered if Melissa was making Jack watch _New Year's Rockin' Eve_. They were at home together, both staying up to see the New Year come in in Minnesota.

It was times like these that she missed Melissa. Last year they had each drank fake wine and stayed up all night. Kate realized, sadly, this was their first New Year's apart. There was a lot of firsts between them this year -- this one was the most nostalgic, but tolerable.

"Ten!" the group in Times Square chanted. "Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five!"

Kate looked at Will. She saw he had a wide smile on his face. She broke out into a smile, too.

So much had happened this year. She had fallen in love with Will and in lust with someone she shouldn't have. She had realized why this relationship had been worth fighting for in June, and that even her deepest mistakes could be forgiven. She had gotten engaged, and shortly after, gotten married to Will. She realized what exactly it meant to love someone and to give them everything you had. They moved away together to New York.

And here they were, standing in Times Square with only four seconds left of December 31.

"Four! Three! Two!"

It was the last moment of 2007. It was the year that changed them both more than they realized. She couldn't bear to say goodbye to such an important year. She would go back a year in time in an instant and relive it all again, from clinking glasses with Melissa on January 1, to graduating on May 30, to buying that medallion on May 31.

"One!" the crowd chanted. "Happy New Year!"

As she kissed Will, she could barely hear music playing over the speakers. She was only vaguely aware of the confetti raining upon them. She still felt weak every time he kissed her.

There was no better way she could think of ringing in the New Year than being in Times Square kissing Will.

She broke away and looked into his eyes, smiling. "Six months ago today we first met."

It felt like six years they had known each other.

He smiled back. "We did."

Next to Will, she heard a raven-haired woman say "Yes!" and saw a man slip a ring onto her ring finger. Will glanced at the couple, too and looked at her.

"I remember when that was us," he said.

"July 7," she said. "You made that the luckiest day of my life."

* * *

It was 11:58 PM. There were two minutes left of 2007. Jack had spent the last few minutes debating whether or not to kiss Melissa. It was customary to kiss someone on New Year's, but this was a bit of a difficult situation. If he kissed her, she might think that he was being forward and/or wasn't interested in him.

Where this kiss would go, he didn't know, and, frankly, didn't care. If she fell for him, so be it. He wouldn't fall for a woman. He _never_ fell for a woman.

"New Year's resolutions," Melissa said after taking a sip of fake wine. In Jack's hand was rum, something he was more than obliged to use with his employee discount. "You doing them?"

Jack supposed that they would be beneficial to Amy. He didn't want to be a bad father, even if the idea of him being a father was bizarre. Melissa was obviously convinced this would help him be a decent, or maybe even a good father.

"Sure," he said nonchalantly. "'N' what is Saint doin' fer 'er New Year's resolution?"

A smile crept upon her face. "A different me."

With that smile and those words, Jack could only wonder what Melissa Rose Lewes was meaning when she said that.

"I'm going to live life to the fullest. If I make a mistake, I make one. I want to have fun."

He applauded her for wanting to change, but that wouldn't be Melissa anymore. Melissa -- _Saint_ -- was the good girl who was didn't want to let her hair down. She was the person who was terrified to make a mistake and had to have everything just so.

He liked Melissa. As opposite as they were, he didn't want her to change.

"Sorry t' say that I won't recognize ya," he said.

She smirked. "Sorry to say I won't recognize you, either."

Touche.

* * *

Melissa knew this year was going to change her. Besides the fact that she was going to take a chance and live life to the fullest -- and becoming a mother -- she wasn't sure how else it would. She was more than ready for it, though.

The first half of the year was daunting, yet exhilerating. She molded her future by completing high school and being accepted into the University of Minnesota to pursue her career as a veterinarian. The second half was nothing but a roller coaster that, at first, she was screaming to get off of. She had found someone that had been very special to her. Tragically, that special someone wanted to bed her best friend, which resulted in nothing but heartache. Why Melissa forgave Jack, she still didn't know why. She liked to think that, while they were fighting, he had sent her the sparrow as an olive branch. It could have been coincidental, but this was Jack Sparrow -- when was the last time that something was coincidental with him?

Melissa had given herself to him, even though he had betrayed her. She had loved him more than anyone she had ever met, and was convinced that he was the one as, he had put it, to give her flower to. Even though he may not have been The One like she had once thought, she would never again regret thinking that he was. Were it not for that, she would not be having a daughter, whom she already loved, on the way.

Melissa had to say goodbye to her best friend, who got married and moved away to start a life of her own. She realized, with a hint of sadness, this was their first New Year's apart. Jack was far from poor company, thankfully.

Two and a half weeks ago, her life had seemed like it came crashing down when her parents after she seperated herself from her parents. She still thought about the last words that she said to them: _Neither of you talk to me for fifty years. Chances are I won't have forgiven you until then._

And she wouldn't. She could never forgive them for what they had thought about her.

Next year was going to be different. This was her time. Melissa Lewes was going to be her own person.

She heard the count was down to ten now. Ten seconds until the New Year.

"Are we goin' t' kiss?" Jack asked.

Jack and Melissa -- kiss? He'd finally gone crazy.

"Why?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It's a tradition. 'N' ya wanted t' change...'n' kissin' me is somethin' ya normally wouldn't do."

Melissa wouldn't kiss Jack, even though she was going to change. She would never kiss him, even if it was just a meaningless one.

Melissa couldn't help but wonder if he felt something for her still. Was it for tradition and having her branch out that he was doing it, or was it something else?

"Three!" the crowd in Times Square chanted. "Two! One! Happy New Year!"

She could hardly hear the music playing over the television. She couldn't see the confetti on the screen, or the smiles of people ringing in another New Year. Why?

Her eyes were closed, she was tasting the rum on Jack's lips, and she was too busy thinking that she just might feel something towards him still.

* * *

Jack wasn't sure who kissed who first. It might have been Melissa that kissed him, it might have been himself.

Something was changing, though. She hadn't pulled away, thus she couldn't have not enjoyed the kiss. What surprised him was that she had kissed him -- it sounded like she thought he was mad when she asked why they should kiss.

Jack felt his heart starting to speed up in his chest. Was he having a heart attack?

Then he realized: that kiss may have been the worst thing he could have done. He realized that he may just feel something for Melissa Lewes.

* * *

It was midnight. Cutler Beckett was at a New Year's party -- solo. Who was it that invited him? That annoying little blonde receptionist...Christina was her name, right? Not that it mattered. His first kiss of the year was going to be with a blonde -- and not one named Christina.

Beckett could be kissing Melissa right now. She could be at his side, his arm around her waist.

Beckett would do whatever it took to have Melissa. Melissa was too good for that pirate. She needed someone stable, one who would provide her with every emotional, physical, and financial need.

He looked at the few couples kissing while taking a long drink of champagne.

Happy New Year, indeed.

* * *

**New poll up! I love to hear your opinions. They really do help me shape future chapters.**


	62. A Passing Fancy

Chapter Sixty-Two 

A Passing Fancy

**Thanks to J.B. for the plot bunny. I couldn't help but adopt it!

* * *

**

Beckett was drunk. He was past feeling a buzz and past feeling loose. No, Cutler Beckett, former Lord and chairman of the East India Trading Company, was undeniably drunk. Why would _he_ do such a thing? He wanted to forget about Melissa denying him. It was a shame that his intentions didn't work. In fact, he was so drunk that at 2:00 in the morning, he decided to call Melissa from that twit of a blonde's party and say just how angry he was with her.

He into the bathroom, leaving the dance music that he was convinced he had heard before behind. Once he closed the bathroom door, he reached for the cell phone in his pocket. He flipped it open and struggled to find the address book. His vision went blurry at times, as if he was seeing doubles. When his vision cleared, he began to scroll down to find "Melissa L."

Shit. His vision was going blurry again.

Wait...this was Melissa's number.

He pressed "call" and started pacing. Melissa would finally know what he thought.

The line began to ring.

* * *

Kate was having a wonderful dream. James Blunt was serenading her with "You're Beautiful".

"You're beautiful...you're beautiful...you're beautiful, it's true..."

Her eyes opened and met only darkness. Why did she still hear music playing, though? Neither of them had the radio on when they came back. Judging by the clock on her nightstand, that was only about an hour ago.

Wait -- that wasn't the radio. That was her phone!

The first thing that came to her mind was that something had happened to one of her parents. Maybe one of her parents had driven home drunk from a party, and it was one of her relatives calling to say that something had happened. No -- she could have sworn they were going to stay home.

It couldn't be Melissa calling to say that she was going into labor. She still had two months to go -- unless little Amy wanted to greet the world _right now_ as a premature.

She reached for the phone and saw that the caller was Beckett.

Wait -- Beckett? She had e-mailed him her number shortly after they moved to New York ("just in case" was her excuse). But _Beckett_ calling _them_?

"Is Melissa having the baby?" Will asked grogilly.

"No, sweetie," she said. "Go back to sleep."

Flipping the phone open and getting out of bed, she answered, "Hello?"

There was a beat of silence before she heard Beckett say on the other line, "'Lissa?"

This hardly sounded like Beckett. He sounded...drunk. And why did he call her Melissa?

He sounded like he was at a New Year's party. She could faintly hear "Swing" by Savage playing in the background.

"Beckett?" she asked. "Is this you?"

"Yeah," he slurred. "'Lissa, I got som...somethin' to tell ya."

Oh, dear God. Cutler Beckett was calling her -- drunk. He thought that she was Melissa. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to be good.

Wait -- when did those two start talking again? Was she secretly seeing him? Why didn't she tell Kate?!

"You have the wrong person --" she said before she was interrupted.

"You're lovely, 'Lissa. 'Member...lovely? From the plane?"

Kate walked to the kitchen as to not disturb Will. And, no, she had no idea what he was talking about, of course.

"I'd never felt like that before," he continued. "I coulda climbed E-Everest, I coulda ruled a country! Who knows what I coulda done!"

This was all a very bizarre dream, or Beckett was saying that he had loved Melissa -- the Melissa who was practically her sister. She prayed that it was a dream.

"What?!" Kate began. "This is Kate Turner, not Melissa Lewes."

Beckett obviously didn't comprehend that simple sentence.

"I was in love," he said. "Love...like _Romeo and Juliet_. I was Romeo. It felt good to be Romeo! An'...I dunno, it was like a song."

She wasn't sure whether or not to be disturbed or confused. Beckett was comparing himself to Romeo Montague and was talking about love. She wondered just how drunk he was.

"Ya know what, though?" he asked. "Ya kinda fu...fucked that up, 'Lissa. I was Romeo...'n' then...Juliet left me."

Melissa had broken Beckett's rock of a heart? Impressive. She wondered what he could have said.

"Instead o' you comin' to the New Year's party like ya coulda...I was by myself. And ya know what I did?"

Maybe he had extemporaneously called her and asked. Perhaps they weren't even seeing each other -- Kate could only pray that was true.

"I got drunk! Really, _really_ drunk!"

This was exactly how she wanted to spend the third hour of the new year: listening to a drunk Cutler Beckett.

"You know...I was so angry on S-Saturday at you. And I realized, you're the first thing that I wanted that I haven't got."

Kate sighed in frustration and leaned against the counter. She realized that this was a blessing -- at least Melissa didn't have to hear this. Hearing Beckett say this to her was the last thing that she needed to hear.

"An' I dunno why you would spend New Year's with..._Sparrow_ instead of me. He's a...pig. Dog. The animal of your choice, dear. I'm a respectable man. I was the chairman of the East India Trading Company! I'm repsectable!"

Maybe if he said that enough times, he would believe it.

"We'll be together someday, 'Lissa," he slurred. "You just wait. Oh -- Oh, God."

The next thing she heard was Beckett's champagne coming out the same way it came in. Quickly, she turned the phone off.

It wasn't until she heard the deafening silence of their apartment did she realize what sort of a magnitude this was. Beckett was drunk -- _very_ drunk -- but he was honest. He had loved Melissa, she had learned, but in a way that was dangerous. If he couldn't have her, then no one could.

She prayed that Melissa was just a passing fancy and that he would find someone else soon. With the luck that she had, though, Beckett was going to be quite persistant. She wanted to believe this was a drunk moment that he didn't mean, but Kate got the feeling that wasn't the case.

She went back to their bedroom and crawled back into bed next to Will.

"Is everything alright, darling?" he murmurred.

Hopefully.

"Beckett was just drunk dialing," she said, simply.

* * *

The moment Melissa woke up, last night -- rather, this morning -- came back like a jolt of lightening. The first thing she remembered was the kiss between them that rang in the New Year.

Had she kissed Jack? Or was he the one that had kissed her? All she knew was that she didn't protest it.

She was so confused. Did she still feel something for him? Were old feelings for him resurfacing?

Wait -- he was the one that asked if they would kiss. Were old feelings that he felt for _her_ resurfacing?

She felt just like she first time they kissed: more confused than ever and wondering why she did it.

Only time would tell if anything would branch out from their new kiss. Would he start acting like a boyfriend (come to think of it, they were never dating -- he had never said that she was his girlfriend) again? Jack already was acting like a father. He had talked to their landlord and got the crib, painted Amy's room, and even read the baby books.

Maybe having a baby wouldn't be as hard of a transition as they thought.

When she went downstairs and logged online, she saw that there was a reminder for her OB/GYN appointment tomorrow. Melissa made a mental note of the questions she needed to ask.

She had one e-mail in her inbox. Melissa smiled when she saw it was from Kate. Eagerly, she opened it and read it.

_Subject: Drunk Dialing at 3:00 AM_

_Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2008 8:58 AM EST_

_To: off, Happy New Year, Melissa! Alright, and Jack. I suppose this laptop will somehow magically find it's way into your hands._

_Secondly, someone called me this morning at 3:00 AM. Take a guess._

Doctor_ Cutler Beckett._

_I was just as surprised as you. What I was even more surprised at was what he said._

_Are you sitting down?_

_He loves you._

_And, no, I am not joking._

_He was upset that you didn't go to a New Year's party with him. By upset, I mean he got horribly drunk and called me, thinking that I was you (God knows how he got Kate Turner out of Melissa Lewes -- I've never got drunk enough to find out why). It was actually a terrifying thing to hear him drunk. He was slurring his words, and, if I didn't have the caller ID, I would swear that it wasn't him. He didn't speak with perfect English. It was absolutely bizarre._

_He said that you two would be together someday. To be honest, it made me scared for you. He's sneaky, Melissa. He'll manipulate you, and God knows he'll twist your words and make you believe something else._

_I know I'm overreacting. I'm paranoyed. I'm crazy. Call it what you may, he is a silent threat._

_Your overprotective friend,_

_Kate_

Shock turned to confusion as she read that. Beckett drunk dialing to say that he loved her? She couldn't begin to find the words.

* * *

Subject: Where Do I Start?

Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2007 8:14 AM CST

To: could start at two places.

1) Beckett drinks? Beckett gets drunk? Beckett gets so drunk that he calls you and thinks that he's talking to me, when he's talking to you?

2) He admitted that he loves me?

To be honest, your whole e-mail shocked me. Now I'm just confused. Forgive me if I sound like a blabbering idiot. Because if you were here, that's exactly what you would see.

I was surprised, but not stunned, that he loves me. I've talked with the man for, what, five hours or so? I know what it's like to feel that kind of attraction to a person, but we haven't talked for three months. That's just a _bit_ forward.

Either of us have yet to figure out how he got Kate Turner out of Melissa Lewes. Perhaps Hubby has a theory? I'm sure Jack would be more than obliged to get equally as drunk to see what he sees with those two names.

I wouldn't say that you're paranoyed or crazy by any means. He put a brand on Jack because he refused to bring slaves to Jamacia. We actually had this discussion a few nights ago. What I thought is that he'll think I'll literally reget it. It's scary dealing with a jealous guy, though.

It's just a passing fancy.

I hope.

Oh, and Happy New Year to you, too!

Love always,

Melissa

* * *

Melissa had grown accustomed to the pale yellow room at the OB/GYN's office. It reminded her of the summertime -- the time that she had concieved and landed up in this office in the first place.

Everything was fine with Amy. She felt so blessed to have a smooth pregnancy -- physically, at least. It was harder mentally and emotionally than she thought it would ever be. She knew it was because these weren't the ideal circumstances that she wanted to bring her child into the world, but she would sacrifice some of her happiness for the safety and well-being of her unborn child.

"Question," Melissa said to Dr. Anderson. "My friend and I were discussing a few days ago about false labor and true labor. How will I know the difference?"

"And it's a wonderful one," Dr. Anderson smiled. "True labor develops a pattern, with the contractions growing closer and closer together. The contractions last more than thirty seconds on the onset and get progressively larger, up to sixty seconds, even."

Melissa had a feeling she wouldn't be complaining about her period after labor.

"They'll continue regardless of what you're doing, and even grow stronger the more you do, like walking," Dr. Anderson continued. "Now, in true labor, the pain tends to begin high in your abdomen, radiating through your entire abdomen and lower back, or vice versa."

Melissa tried to imagine Jack's expression when she said that she was having the baby. Would he remain calm, or would he get bug-eyed and frantic? Melissa opted more toward the second one.

She wanted Amy to be born now. Melissa was getting tired of feeling Amy kick, as magical as that had been a month ago. She wanted to start losing weight and not eating pickles and ice cream!

Soon enough, though, Amy would be going through what she was just doing half a year ago: setting out into the real world. Surely _her_ little baby wouldn't grow up one day?

* * *

Kate's dream had now become a nightmare.

For years, even before she considered modeling, she had thought about going to Paris and being in Fashion Week. She didn't care who she modeled for -- she wanted to be at Fashion Week, with the trobbing music and her outfit costing more than a car. Moments ago, she found out that dream of her's could become a reality.

Kate had just gotten off the phone with her agent, April. She had said that Vogue had sent Yves Saint Laurent advanced prints of the shoot from December, as well as to a Parisan magazine called _Amour_. Both had been intrigued by what they had seen. That shocked her -- she never thought that Yves Saint Laurent or a French magazine would be interested in her. She was more than eager for April to continue, though.

She was to meet in New York with one of the coordinators for the Yves Saint Laurent fashion show on Friday, and, that same day, sign the papers saying that she would pose for _Amour_.

Honestly, she was shocked by the suddeness of it all. Just a week ago, she was in Minnesota with Melissa and Jack. Now she was being asked to do _these_? Kate, of course, could not turn it down. This was amazing!

Until April explained that, of course, the shoot was in France and the show was for Paris Fashion Week. Her heart had then stopped the excited banging in her chest and proceeded to drop down straight to her stomach. That would mean she had to leave Will. She tried to tell herself it might only be two or three day's time. It wouldn't be that long. And, besides, if it wouldn't be on a Wednesday that they were gone, he could come with. It would be romantic for the two of them to go to Paris together.

"How long?" Kate managed to ask.

"February 16 through 26," April replied.

Ten days. She was being asked to leave Will -- her Will -- for ten days?

Everyone had to sacrifice something in the career they were in. This was what she would have to sacrifice: leaving her husband.

She tried to convince herself it was only ten days. It wouldn't be so long. On the flip side, though, there was no way of communicating. She would have to buy an international phone card, and with all the time that she would want to talk with him, it would cost her a bundle. They shared a laptop between the two of them, so they couldn't even mail. And by the time that he got any letters of her's, she would nearly be home.

"That's great," she mustered.

After April told her the location and time to be at both locations on Friday, she hung up. The truth was finally settling in. Kate was going to have to leave to go to Paris no matter what. She would have to go for the magazine shoot, but Will would probably be able to go. If she got the job in the YSL show, though, it would be a different story. It would be hell, in more ways than one. Frantic fittings and instructions on how to walk to the music just so would be nearly impossible to do without Will at her side to keep her level.

Taking a deep breath, she went out to tell Will the news.

With each word she said to him, the only word that could describe him was crushed. It was clear that as much as he wanted her to have this, he would give anything to have her stay.

She felt that way, too.


	63. Self Recognition

Chapter Sixty-Three

Self-Recognition

* * *

It took two things to get a job in twenty-first century America. First, you had to be qualified for the job. Second, you had to look decent. Jack already knew how to scan items at a register. He had been doing that for seven months now. But he, with dreadlocks and a bone in his hair, didn't look like he was supposed to work at Target.

His job interview was scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, January 4, at noon. He had taken Friday off. (Why? Because he could.) That only left eighteen hours for him to take his dreadlocks out.

There Jack stood, in the first-floor bathroom with conditioner, a rat-tail comb, scissors, and a spray bottle, taking one last look at his dreadlocks. How many years had he had them in, even? This was the end of him and his dreadlocks -- because of Amy and getting a job at Target.

"Now or ne'er," he muttered to himself.

Jack opened the brown bottle of conditioner and squeezed it into his hand. He squeezed the conditioner to each of his dread locks, then rinsed his hair lightly.

Then the tedious work began. He began picking out each dreadlock with the end of the rat-tail comb, working his way up. Occasionally, he used the spray bottle next to him to keep his hair damp.

If he had not felt a strong bond with Melissa -- friendship or otherwise -- he would not be doing this. He was taking out his dreadlocks because Melissa needed him to. Target was not going to hire someone with dreadlocks and a chicken bone in their hair. He needed to help provide for Amy when she was born.

Who would have thought that _he_, Jack Sparrow, would be doing this for a woman, much less the person that he felt a very strong bond with, as well as his future daughter? Having a child on the way forced him to grow up -- he could only wonder what it forced Melissa to do. She was the one that would give birth in two more months.

One by one, his dreadlocks came out. It was a daunting process, one that he cursed for taking so long. His arm got tired, but he was determined to get this done tonight.

Finally, they were out. Jack looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was no longer in dreadlocks, but somewhat straight from the dampness of the spray bottle. For the first time in years, he ran his fingers through his long hair. He had half of the job done, all he had to do was cut it. That wouldn't take nearly as long.

Jack picked up the small, silver hair scissors and began cutting it to his jaw. He was changing, he realized. He was going to be more responsible. In just two months, he would have a small, crying daughter of his that would need love and attention. Jack would be willing to give that to her.

He watched his hair fill up the sink. Using a hand mirror, he carefully clipped the back, then ran a finger through his now short hair. The contrast to ten minutes ago was remarkable.

He could hardly recognize himself. The handsome devil in the mirror no longer had dreadlocks, but shorter hair that screamed "relaxed".

He grinned. Melissa would love this. She didn't even know that he would do it tonight -- he thought it would be a nice surprise for her.

The beard, though...it didn't go with the hair. Impulsively, he snipped them off, then trimmed it close to his chin.

What a handsome devil.

He put the hair on the shopping-bag lined trash can in the bathroom, then went upstairs to see Melissa. The door was closed -- she must have wanted some private time while he was cutting his hair. He knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" she said from the room.

Grinning, Jack opened the door. The look on Melissa's face when she looked up from her book was nothing but pure shock. Her sky blue eyes grew wide and lit up with joy. There was utter silence between them.

"Ya like?" he asked.

"I love!" she said. Melissa got up from the bed and went to him. She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. "You look amazing."

He couldn't help but smile when he saw how happy he made her.

"Thank you," she said softly, gazing into his eyes. "This means a lot to me."

"Ya would've done it yerself sooner or later," he teased. "I prefer to remove my own memories myself, thank ya."

She laughed, then sobered. "I'm proud of you, Jack. This is the first time you haven't thought about only yourself."

Elizabeth had been wrong. Captain Jack Sparrow was a good man.

* * *

Kate was torn as she walked across the room at the Yves Saint Laurent boutique in New York, her arms relaxed, swaying back and forth. She wanted this gig more than anything, but she didn't want to be apart from Will. Doing her best would be a selfish thing to do -- she would leave her husband for ten days. It would advance her career. She knew that this is what Will would want, though, he had said so the day that she broke the news that she would be going to Paris regardless for the _Amour_ shoot. It would only be longer if she was going to be in the show.

Unfortunately, from the praise that she was getting, that would have to be the case. Kate started to feel sick to her stomach. She had not wanted to go to Paris, but yet she was starved for it. It was for ten days -- she couldn't do without Will.

As hard as it was, this was her life. This is what she did. Life as a model was not always easy.

* * *

Will heard his wife come in at around 4:00 that afternoon. He heard her high heels click-clacking on the floor as she went through the kitchen, and to their bedroom. By the lack of a greeting or any communication, she could tell that she was not happy. Unhappiness for her, could easily be either of the outcomes today: frustrated that she didn't get the job with Yves Saint Laurent, or frustrated that she did.

He decided to let her be in peace for a few minutes. If he knew anything about his wife, the best thing one could do with her when she was angry was let her come to you, not the other way around.

When she emerged, she was in a baggy Yale sweatshirt and sweatpants. She curled next to him on the couch and nestled into him. He wondered if now was the time to hold her -- but what could he say? She was obviously upset over something.

"Ten days won't be so long," she said quietly.

Will would not let it show how crushed he was. Ten days apart from the woman he loved would be nothing but ten days of being in an empty apartment, sleeping next to an empty half of a bed. She wouldn't be sleeping beside him. He wouldn't have his arm draped around her, nor would he kiss her neck lightly like every night before she drifted off to sleep.

"It won't," he murmurred, kissing her head and wrapping an arm around her.

* * *

Jack was chopping celery for a vegetable soup on Friday evening when he heard Melissa come through the garage door. He had waited eagerly all day to tell her the news of the job interview. Jack was sure she had been waiting on pins and needles all day.

"How did it go?" Melissa asked, walking past him and putting her keys on the counter.

"I won!" Jack said.

"You say that like it's a game," she laughed.

Despite her joking demeanor, she hugged him. Gently, he hugged her back.

"I assume that you cutting your hair didn't hurt?" she asked.

She had been right, bugger. Why did women have to have women's intuition?

"I would o' gotten in with my charisma," he grinned.

"I'm sure," she said, pulling away and taking her coat and draping over her chair. She paused, then turned around to face him. "I'm proud of you."

She seemed to be proud of him a lot, lately.

* * *

For months, Kate suspected that she and Will had a past life together. It had started just a few days before their wedding when they were walking on the beach together. As seasons changed, though, more things had started adding up -- something that she was none too happy about. The kiss in the rain that bonded them, erasing the past behind them; the deja vu at the beach; the spur-of-the-moment nuptuals; being away ten days (compared to ten years that Will had to be away from Elizabeth); the heart he had given her and saying that it belonged to her...not to mention that he had fallen asleep in a bedroom with Elizabeth and woken up in a bedroom with Kate.

Saying that she was going out shopping, Kate went to go visit a reputable psychic. She had no faith in it, but maybe, just_ maybe_, she could find something out.

Taking the subway to New York, she went to a small shop with red curtain windows. On the window, in black lettering, wrote "**An Ocean of Knowledge**". On the door, there was a sign that said "Not Busy". Kate assumed that meant that the psychic didn't have a customer. She turned the golden knob and walked in, gently closing the door behind her. The thick curtains made it hard to see. The shop was dim. She even half-wondered if perhaps the shop was closed on weekends.

"Can I 'elp ye?" she heard a voice with a thick Jamacian accent from the room next to the entry.

Kate followed the voice. There was a small table with an African-American woman sitting across from it, her long fingers clasped on top of the table. She was a very lovely woman, with a clear, square face and chocolate brown eyes.

"Ah, Elizabet'," the woman said, a smile creeping upon her face. "We meet again."

She wasn't sure why she was so surprised when a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Tia Dalma called her Elizabeth. Perhaps it was the finalization of it all. After months of wondering, she knew.

She sat across from the Tia look-a-like and held her hands in her lap.

"Tell me everything," Kate said softly.

* * *

Will heard Kate walk in at around 2:00 that Saturday afternoon. She heard the rustling of a plastic bag as she hanged her coat up. He wondered what she could have been out shopping for -- she was gone for nearly two and a half hours.

"Hey," she said walking into the living room.

He eyed the Target bag she was carrying. Curiosity got the best of him.

"What did you buy?" he asked.

She pulled out the purchase and handed it to him and took a seat next to him on the couch. What he saw on the cover were five people: Sao Feng, Elizabeth, Jack, himself, and Captain Barbossa. He saw that she had gotten _At World's End_.

Why?

"Our wedding video," she said.

The only ones that got married here were himself and Elizabeth. That was impossible.

He stared at it, confused. The woman on this cover was not Kate. It was Elizabeth.

"I went to Tia," she said. "She confirmed it."

_It_. He knew full well what _it_ was.

He tore his eyes away from the cover and looked at his wife. She looked like she didn't want to say the next sentence. She looked exactly like when Elizabeth didn't want to say something. She looked down at the fabric of the couch, then slowly met his eyes.

"That was us. I was the one you were angry at when we first met. The one you couldn't speak of. The one you wanted to move on from."

The whole situation was very ironic, now that he thought about it. He had fallen in love again with the woman he always had, the same one that he didn't want to see again after he saw her kissing Jack and chaining him to the mast.

Kate and Elizabeth were two different people, yet they had the same soul. He had a feeling for months that she was Elizabeth reincarnated, but the confirmation was bizarre to experience.

He began to have so many questions: Why did she feel that kissing Jack was the only way to leave him behind? Why didn't she tell him?

Of course, his wife would know none of those. She couldn't remember a past life, of course.

"You can watch it alone," she said.

If she thought it would be best for him to, she was wrong.

"You said that it's our wedding video," he said, lacing his hand through her's. "I don't see the point watching it by myself."

* * *

Will began to understand why Kate thought it would be best if he watched this alone. He had betrayed Kate just like she had betrayed him by allaining with Sao Feng. She sat by him, though, and watched the entire film with him.

Both watched their short, spur-of-the-moment wedding with a smile, looking at each other. Getting married while in the middle of a battle -- definitely not traditional, but _them_.

He had forgotten that Kate told him that he was stabbed by Davy Jones until he actually saw that. It was bizarre watching his own death. Then again, this had not been a normal day to begin with. When was it ever?

He was set to go ten years away from Elizabeth (Kate? He didn't know who to mentally call his wife while seeing this.), he discovered, due to Jack helping him stab the heart of Davy Jones in his dying state.

He felt that now he was given a second chance at life, a second life with Elizabeth. He had been blessed with such an opportunity. Will never wanted to let that slip away. Yet now they were plagued with the same fate: she was to go to Paris for ten days.

_It's better than the alternative of ten years_, he thought.

Will was grateful that was not the life he remembered. He couldn't bear to part from his wife for ten years.

"You're right," she said, touching the pendant of the necklace he got her for Christmas. "It always did belong to me."

His hand gently touched her's resting on the pendant.

His heart. He had given it to her for the first time on the beach. He had given it to her eighteen years later again.

"I know you'll keep it safe," he said softly to her before kissing her lips tenderly.

* * *

The end of January was near. Melissa had only eight weeks left until Amy was born. She began to experience insomnia. In her opinion, it was worse than the fatigue at the beginning of her pregnancy.

Often, she found herself thinking about the future. Life would be so different after Amy arrived. After what would be seven months of living alone together, it would be a transition to have a little one of their's in the house, to say the least.

Melissa was folding Amy's newly bought clothes and putting them in the small dresser. She loved folding them. Amy would be wearing the white embroidered one-piece in no time at all. She would keep these and look at them one day, she knew, and think back to when she was preparing for the birth of their daughter.

"I won!" Jack said. "Found a faster route! We save one minute, Mel!"

Jack was in the rocking chair looking at routes to the hospital on her laptop. That had been one of his favorite parts of the planning, she knew. He could feel like he was doing something that would affect them in some way. She had to smile at how excited he seemed that he found how to save one minute.

"Good job," she said in her motherly tone.

She swore at times she would be raising two children.

"Want t' play a game?" he asked.

"I'm a bit busy," she reminded.

"When do ya think Amy'll be born?"

And this was a game?

"Odd or even-numbered day?" he asked.

"Even," she shrugged.

"I bet odd."

_Good for you_, thought.

As she looked at him, she hardly recognized him as the man that got her pregnant in the first place. Characteristically, he was the same, but he looked so much different. He had gone without his bandana for months, but his dreadlocks had been gone for a few weeks, as well as his beard. He looked -- dare she say it? -- like a father.

The thing about him that she was disappointed about was that nothing further had happened between them since the kiss on New Years. She was still torn as to whether or not she felt something towards him. She wanted to believe that she didn't feel something, but her heart said otherwise. She caught herself thinking of the kiss whenever she let her mind wander far enough -- like now.

He gave no indication that he felt something towards her, though. At least he made it clear they wanted to remain friends.

But why had he given her that kiss on New Years if he hadn't felt something towards her?

There was a plus side, though: Beckett hadn't called for a month. At least one stressful thing was left out of her life. All she had to worry about was the arrival of her baby and whether or not she still had feelings for her baby's father.

She reasoned that if either felt something very strongly towards the other, the other would have said something by now.

And there was nothing the other had said.

* * *

**I assure you the rest of this story will be nothing but a joy to read LOL. My goal is to get it done by the New Year...I hope I can. Let's see. Hehe. Next chapter is Valentine's Day, though! And, oh, dear me, we're in the home stretch! Only three or four chapter until Amy arrives! The baby will be born so soon!!**

**See that purple button there? Press it and leave some love!**


	64. Amour

Chapter Sixty-Four

Amour

* * *

Kate tried to savor the last days with Will. Despite the fact that it was Valentines Day -- their first together, no less -- she knew that in two days time she would be boarding a plane for France. It wouldn't be as hard if she could talk to Will, but the time difference was so great that when she was up, he would be sleeping. When he was awake, she would be busy at a fitting or a shoot.

She thought this was an unjust test of how far she could be pushed. A cruel test at that. She was determined to pass it, though.

The Turners were in Serendipity 3. It was about 1:00 and, since it was a Thursday, not many people were in the resturant. Both had ordered a coffee and were sitting at a table near the window.

Will took a sip of his cappacino. Sticking to his nose was some foam the drink.

"I thought perhaps you would like to watch _The Notebook_ when we got home?" he asked.

Kate didn't mean to laugh, but she did. His innocence just added to the cuteness that was her husband -- especially when he had foam on his nose.

"What?" he asked. "That's your favorite love story."

She picked up the napkin beside her and wiped the foam off his nose, smiling. The moment their eyes met, she knew this would be one of the moments she shared with him she would think about while in Paris.

His eyes met the napkin, then smiled and shook his head. Kate took his hand and held it on top of the table for anyone and everyone to see that she loved this man.

"No," she said. "My favorite love story is our's."

* * *

Jack and Melissa spent that evening talking on the couch downstairs. Melissa was wearing a maroon University of Minnesota hoodie, her straight, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Jack loved how pregnancy had made her glow and appear more relaxed.

"What did you do last Valentine's Day?" she asked.

Really, who did she think he was? He was Captain Jack Sparrow!

"I spent it in Tortuga," he said.

Melissa smirked. "Alright, let me guess with what prostitute."

_They are _wenches he mentally corrected.

"Was it old reliable? Giselle?"

How could she have guessed?

"Ah, it was," she said, probably from lack of response by him. "And did you get maddeningly drunk beforehand?"

"What is this? Twenty questions?"

"Just prying into the life of my baby's father," she grinned.

Melissa really _had_ started changing since the New Year. Since when had this innocent blonde, who thought that she was sick from food poisoning instead of morning sickness, turn into one who invaded privacy?

"Yes, we got maddeningly drunk," he said, waving a hand, "then we made maddening love afterwards. That was 'ow I spent my last Valentines Day, dearie. Pray tell, 'ow did ya spend yer's?"

"I spent it with some of my other single friends. We went out to dinner together, then went to see _Music and Lyrics_."

Melissa never was the type to go out and stay out til the morning at a club.

"'N' where was dear Katie?" he asked.

"She was out with then-boyfriend." She paused.

Wierd. There was a boy for Kate before the whelp.

"Jack?" she asked.

"Yes, dearie?"

There: he hadn't said "aye". Was she satisfied?

"Why is the idea of you having a relationship with anyone so farfetched?"

She wasn't still interested, was she?

"Because I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow, love," he said. "I don't commit myself to a woman. I'm not s'pposed t' 'ave a ring 'round my finger. I live fer excitement."

"And that excitement includes most likely giving or contracting an STD, as well as being fourty-five and single?"

Bugger. Just because she wanted to be a little more independent didn't mean harsh.

"I'll practice safe, eh, lovin' so that no more o' my demon children are roamin' th' earth. As fer bein' fourty-five 'n' single all these years from now...just call me a dashin' version o' Scott Baio, dear."

Melissa laughed and shook her head. He wondered why that was so much worse than her backing out of the epidural that she, apparently, had decided shortly after the New Year. (Frankly, she was the only person that could back out of an epidural during labor. He could just see her panicing when the pain got too intense, crying and saying that it wasn't too late to have one when it would be.)

"I'm not th' one that backed out of an epidural because o' my fear of needles."

"Would _you_ want a needle going into your spine?"

He had a pirate brand and didn't pass out. He could take a needle in the spine.

"Plus, remember how we learned in birth class that Abby, the one with two kids already, said that you could do it without an epidural?"

She was saying that only because she didn't want to admit that her fear of needles, which she thought that she could shove aside for the birth of their daughter, was surfacing more than she expected, Jack speculated. Plus, that Abby had too much of an influence on her with pain relievers (or lackthereof).

"Doesn't mean that ya _should_. Twenty dollars says that ye'll be screaming 'n' crunchin' e'ery bone in my 'and!"

Jack tried to imagine Melissa in labor, squeezing his hand so tight that he was sure it would fall off. Melissa quite possibly would be screaming from pain at that point and saying words he had never heard from her come out of her mouth.

"Of course I will."

* * *

The inevitable day came. February 16 was Mr. and Mrs. Turner. Kate gave her husband a final embrace before she departed for the plane. She kissed him longingly. Her heart dropped deeper when she realized she would go ten days without his kisses and touch.

"I'll see you in ten days," Will said softly between final kisses.

She could feel tears welling in her eyes as she entered the plane alone. She willed herself not to cry. Ten days was no time at all. By the time she got back, Melissa would almost be ready to have the baby. Just a few more weeks would be all.

As the plane lifted off, seperating her from her love, she knew that she had someone far more familiar to anticipate seeing for the first time.

* * *

Will never realized how difficult it would be to be seperated from the one that he loved.

He was used to seeing his wife around the apartment, smiling at him whenever their eyes met. Now the apartment was empty. He avoided being there as much as he could.

During the nights he would lay on his side of the bed, his hand resting on Kate pillow. He missed how Kate nestled against him while she slept, her eyes shut like an angel's.

Will missed not stealing kisses from her though the day or gazing into her emerald eyes. His hands were never around her waist while she was chopping something for dinner, his lips grazing her neck.

He wondered if she was thinking about him half as much as he was about her.

* * *

In short, Kate was going through something she decided to call Hell. She was without Will in the City of Love, she was in an unfamiliar country with an unfamiliar language, and she was being poked with pins for the final fitting.

Also, she was by twigs who couldn't eat, saying they couldn't afford to gain another pound.

She hated it in Paris. She despised it with every fiber of her being. If Will was here, that would be one thing. But asking her to be away from her husband was one thing too much!

The one good thing was that for the _Amour_ shoot, they dyed her back to her regular chocolate brown, which she would never change back to blonde. The flamboyant makeup artist kept her sane when she told him about her new dye job. His response was "Whoever made you blonde deserves to eat that dye!"

Kate thought about Will constantly, especially through the shoot. This was one of the first shoots that they had done that wasn't together. The first one was the emotionally messy _Vogue_ one, which, much to her embaressment, was about to hit newstands in a week and a half. This one wasn't much better. She was still an emotional wreck. At least she could get her emotions out before coming to the shoot this time -- and she was clothed, thank God.

She and Will had clicked. That's why they made such a wonderful team. Models did their best work in front of photographers that they trusted. She trusted her husband with her life.

Kate found herself looking at her ring that she was given both in Duluth and the day they got married. A piece of him was always with her, although a diamond wasn't as nearly as valuable as his love.

* * *

Melissa was in the midst of packing her overnight bag to the hospital. Today -- February 23 -- marked officially one month to go before Amy arrived. Just eight months ago, her daughter wasn't even a thought in her mind. Now, it seemed to be all she thought about.

The waiting was the hardest. She wanted Amy to be born -- she felt bigger than ever. Melissa couldn't wait to start exercizing. Were Kate still living in Minnesota, she would beg her to go running with her.

"First thing you're going to do after Amy?" Jack asked, putting the health insurance cards together.

"Running!" she laughed. "Crunches, Pilates, anything! I am determined to lose the baby weight."

"Ya don't look _that_ big."

Just what she wanted to hea:. She didn't look _that_ big.

"I've gained, like, thirty pounds, Jack!"

"So?"

"I'm a girl! It's different when girls gain weight."

He shrugged, obviously indifferent to her weight. Maybe the weight didn't matter to him. She had a chest now, thanks to Amy.

"By the way, I got ye 'n' Amy's mother 'n' child necklace," he said after a brief silence.

Melissa wasn't aware that he had bought one. She hadn't thought about buying one until after the birth. She was pleasantly surprised. How much time had he spent searching for one?

"Katie 'elped me," he added sheepishly. "She sent a few different ones that she thought ya might like."

She imagined a silver one with a mother holding a pink pearl, or perhaps one on a silver chain with two figures. She was touched that he had gotten one. Maybe Amy was more important than she liked to give him credit for.

"That's nice of you," she said.

* * *

If the days in Paris were hell, the Yves Saint Laurent fashion show was chaos. Kate was barely naked backstage while people helped her get dressed in a minute or two's time.

Walking down the never-ending runway for the first time gave her an adrenaline like she had only felt once -- the day of her wedding. She was terrified as she took her first steps, but then felt then felt indescribable the longer she saw the bulbs flashing and the crowd spectating. The music creeped through her skin as she walked down the white runway.

Even through the hell she went through the past nine days, she felt lifted. This is what she had always dreamed of doing. She was given an opportunity of a lifetime. Kate had a hard time believing this was actually happening to her.

Knowing that she would be reunited with Will in one day's time didn't hurt, either.

* * *

Kate arrived back in New York at 12:25 in the afternoon on February 26. She anticipated for the eight hour and twenty-five minute flight to see Will again. She longed to kiss him again and to be in his arms. Paris had been stunning, but it would have been even more beautiful had her husband been with her to experience it. How was it possible to be in the City of Love without your love?

Grateful that she was sitting in Row Eleven (the second row in coach), she grabbed her suitcase from the overhead compartment and wheeled it off the plane. Once off, though, she could no longer contain her excitement. A smile broke out on her face as she resisted the urge to run down the tunnel to the gate, where she saw Will waiting for her.

She would sacrifice another ten days apart just to relive the moment that they saw each other again. She felt lifted and lighter than ever as they met eyes for the first time.

Kate ran to him and met his lips hungrily, putting her hands on his cheeks while he put her hands tightly around her waist. It wasn't until they kissed did she realize how much she had missed him. How had she been able to not kiss him for ten days or feel his touch?

"I missed you so much," she said breathlessly after kissing him.

"It's safe to say that I missed you more," he replied.

She could fight all day that she missed him more. She would win.

* * *

**We're so close to the birth! Oh, and I lied about the two or the chapters until Amy's birth. I'm a big, fat liar. We may just see Melissa feeling her first contractions next chapter. **

**Happy holidays, everyone!**


	65. The Beginning

Chapter Sixty-Five

The Beginning

* * *

As the days ticked by for Melissa, her fears suddenly piqued. She tried to keep them to herself -- Jack wasn't feeling the nerves of motherhood at eighteen. She began to worry what would happen after Amy was born. Would parenthood prove to be too difficult for them? What if her parents had been right? What if it was right to give Amy up for adoption?

No. After all these months, she would not give her parents the satisfaction of being right. Melissa was determined to give her daughter a good life.

She still knew that she felt something for Jack. Melissa was terrified to admit that to herself at times -- she had gotten her heart broken by him before, and telling him her feelings that she knew would not be returned terrified her even more.

She questioned if he had ever stopped loving him. Perhaps them living together made it seem like they were in a relationship, thus she wasn't affected as hard by the breakup in August. Were they living apart, she could have answered that question better.

Another question formed: Did she love him because she was carrying his child?

Yet another question came into her: Why was love so confusing?

As she and Jack were downstairs one evening, she decided to bring up one of her fears to him.

"Jack?" she asked. "Are you scared?"

She knew that she could be a bit more descript. Frankly, the thought of even being a mother in three weeks time terrified her so much that she could barely say it.

"O' that?" he asked, gesturing to her stomach.

She nodded in return.

"Darlin'...I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow. I've tackled Barbossa, Davy Jones, 'n' th' Kraken. I think I can 'andle raising a miniature of us."

Why did he have to be so confident? How could he not have even the slightest fear or insecurity about parenthood?

"Are _you_?" he asked.

She nodded. "To death."

* * *

As Jack flipped immediately towards the end of the April 2008 issue of _Vogue_, he saw a blonde, green-eyed girl who seemed to have all the confidence in the world. What he knew about that blonde was that she was Katherine Turner, a woman who talked to him in desperation just days before the horrifying shoot.

As he looked at her naked-yet-covered body, he wondered for the first time what would have happened if it was Kate that got pregnant. What if Will hadn't interrupted them at the cabin? What if The Pill hadn't worked?

For a moment, Jack tried to picture the scenario. Melissa would most likely be with the Whelp by now, mending each other's broken hearts through a new love. Six weeks or so after Cabin Weekend, Kate would ask him out for dinner, then tell him in the car that she was pregnant. He would then proceed to realize how deep of a hole that he was in.

Kate would have refused to live with him and would rent a place of her own by herself and been nothing but a testy pregnant woman -- partly because she got pregnant from her best friend's love interest from a one night stand.

He realized, looking at Kate's photograph, just how different those two women were. Kate would have been fun for a while, but he would have moved on, just like he always did. Jack felt like he couldn't turn Melissa away because she was so innocent. She didn't push him away. Even after he said they were over in August, she still didn't hold a grudge, which was a pleasant surprise.

Jack didn't love her. He trusted her and held her as a friend. Although, he had to admit, the last time he was just friends with a woman was with Anamaria -- that was nearly two years ago.

Jack continued to look at the woman who could have been in Melissa's shoes, if fate hadn't intervened.

Having Melissa pregnant was better than the alternative, he thought.

* * *

Melissa's fears only worsened as days turned into nights. Each day was another one that meant that she was closer to motherhood, something she began to realize harshly that it wouldn't be as easy as she thought it would be. She had kept herself fooled for eight months by romanticizing motherhood, thinking that she would know just what to do in every situation and parenthood would fit as easily as a custom-made glove. She knew, now, that she had no idea what to do. This child was going to depend on her, and she and Jack were at Square One.

She would not let herself think again that her mother could have been right. She was now thirteen days from the birth -- a horrible time to second guess their future as parents. There was nothing that she could do now except wait for Amy.

Her boss at Elm Creek Animal Hospital had given her even less work than she already did. She felt as if she had nothing to do now, even though she had more energy than she had ever had through her pregnancy. Her energy was so high that, in a way, she didn't even feel pregnant.

Melissa had gotten comments saying that she looked different, although they couldn't explain how. She wondered if Amy was going to want to be born a little earlier than she or Jack would like.

There was no doubt that she was terrified, but she found herself grateful that she had someone as confident as Jack going into this ordeal with her. He was going in just as blindly as she was, but they would guide each other through the dark together.

* * *

As Melissa lay awake during the night of March 11, she wondered when she would ever get a decent night's sleep. She would hardly get one with Amy, and she had gotten only a few during the pregnancy.

Her thoughts of when she would get some sleep were interrupted by what felt like a menstral cramp, as well as an ache starting to form in her lower back and pressure in her pelvic area. Immediately, Melissa knew that it was a contraction. Her heart jolted in fear.

The contraction lasted for about thirty seconds. Thankfully, it was only mild. Maybe it was just a false alarm.

The minutes passed by, and there were no more contractions. She assured herself it was nothing but a false alarm, but the fact that she felt one kept her awake.

She felt another mild contraction, still about thirty seconds long. The clock read 11:11. Fifteen minutes had passed.

She remembered what Dr. Anderson had said about true labor from false labor. True labor started high in the abdomen. Why was this feeling like a menstral cramp, then? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What if she was going into labor? She couldn't drive to the hospital while having contractions!

They could call a taxi. That would cost money, though. She was sure that Jamie, their landlord, wouldn't appreciate being woken up to drive her and Jack to the hospital in the middle of the night.

Fifteen minutes labor, she felt another contraction, slightly less mild.

Fear ran through her veins as she realized that she was going into labor. She had been able to breathe a bit easier the past few days and had been going to the bathroom more than normal (her baby had dropped, she guessed). Her hands began to tremble as she shook Jack's shoulder. She felt tears brimming her eyes out of fear.

"Jack," she said.

He began to stir. "Is there a spider?"

He was thinking about a spider _why_ when her due date was so close and she was waking him in the middle of the night?

"I'm going into labor," she said.

At this, Jack sat up. "Right now? 'Kay, 'member breathin' --"

"No," she interrupted. "I've felt three contractions over the course of fourty-five minutes. I know I'm going into labor."

Jack blinked back the fear that showed for the slightest fraction of a second. He clasped his hands together. "Alrighty, then. We, uh..."

"Stay at home," she said. "Early labor goes eight to twelve hours. We don't have to be at the hospital until active labor."

Her heart started quickening inside her chest. She wasn't ready.

"I'm, uh..." She fumbled to turn the bedside lamp on and reached for her cell phone. "I think I'm going to call Kate."

She wondered why she about to call Kate. Was it for support? Melissa knew that it would be hard for Kate and Will to get a last-minute flight at one of the busiest airports in the world.

Why did Amy have to come early?

Melissa dialed Kate's number and heard the line ringing on the other line, her hands still trembling.

* * *

It was slightly after midnight when Kate heard her cell phone ringing on her nighstand. She wondered who could be calling her at such an hour.

_Beckett drunk dialing again?_ she thought wryly.

She flipped her phone opened as she sat up, clutching the covers to her chest. "Hello?" she said softly, trying not to wake Will sleeping next to her.

"Kate?" came a small, scared voice from Melissa on the other end.

At that moment, Kate knew exactly why Melissa was calling: she was going into labor.

"Kate, I'm having the baby," she said, her voice cracking.

_Oh, my God_, was all she could think of. Knowing that fear was the first emotion Melissa was feeling, though, she didn't need to seem frightened, as well.

"Okay," she said, calmly. "Just relax. When did your contractions start?"

"A little before 11:00. They've been consistant, staying for about thirty seconds and reappearing every fifteen."

Kate looked at the clock. It was 11:30 in Minnesota.

"I'm really scared, Kate," Melissa said, her voice cracking. Shortly thereafter, she could hear her crying.

Her heart felt like it was being tugged at while, at the same time, it was racing with adrennaline from the news of her best friend's child about to enter the world.

"What you need to do right now is relax, Melissa," Kate said soothingly. "We'll catch the next flight, we'll take you to the hospital, you'll have the baby...you can do this."

She heard a sniffle. "Just..._please_...hurry."

Kate hung up and turned on the bedside lamp, illuminating the room. Will sat up and squinted. "What's happening?"

"Melissa's having the baby," Kate said, reaching for a shirt on the floor. It was Will's. She handed it to him.

"I thought she wasn't due until Easter," he said.

"She's the spawn of Jack; if Amy is anything like her father, she won't care about what's easiest for us."

* * *

Jack hadn't the slightest idea why Melissa was crying.

It could, of course, be because she was frightened for the birth and what the future held for them. He didn't think that she should be. She would grow into motherhood eventually. It wasn't something that one picked up overnight.

Jack knew no words of comfort. He didn't think now was the time to offer a hug, and that was the only condolence he knew how to give her.

If she was crying because of the pain, she wouldn't fare well during the birth. He half wondered if now was the time to have her hold his hand.

"This can't be happening," she said, still crying. "I can't be having this baby, Jack. I'm eighteen."

Did she need reminding that she was the one that was so adament on keeping it and estranging herself from her parents because of her strong beliefs?

Even when she had told him that she was pregnant, she wasn't this scared. Bugger, she was more relaxed when she told her _parents_. Through all the things that she had gone through since he had known her, she had never seemed this scared.

Jack wasn't scared. He had no reason to be. He wondered if he could be scared.

Melissa wiped the tears away and took a deep breath.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"You try and take my mind off things. I try to not think about what's going to happen to us tomorrow. And together we wait for Amy to be born."


	66. The Birth

Chapter Sixty-Six

The Birth

**This is the moment we've all been waiting for! It's time to go to the hospital and see Jack and Melissa become parents! Who's ready to see Amy?

* * *

**

Melissa's contractions continued through the hours through of the early morning. She and Jack had stayed up together. She took a bath in an attempt to relax herself before she would head off to the hospital to deliver. The warmth of the bath helped to ease the contractions somewhat.

After she finished taking the bath, she went to work on a Sudoku puzzle in bed, while Jack flipped through the early morning channels, most likely in an effort to entertain himself. Settling for something on QVC (as a joke to distract her, she hoped -- Tova was on), he put down the remote.

"When'll they be 'ere?" Jack asked.

They -- he was waiting for the Turners. As was she, but in a bittersweet way. Seeing two she looked forward to seeing meant going to the hospital and feeling excruciating pain. For months, she had thought about what giving birth might feel like, yet she knew the pain couldn't compare to her thoughts.

"They called and said they got a 4:30 arrival, after negotiating at the ticket counter," Melissa replied.

"'Negotitatin''," he chuckled. "That would most likely involve her using you as her sister and saying that she'll miss the birth of her niece, otherwise."

Now that she didn't have a contraction while thinking about it, it did sound like something she would do.

"Probably," she agreed.

There were a few beats of silence between them. She still felt anxious -- the bath had done little to relax her.

"How can you not be nervous?" she asked. "You're life is going to change today, Jack. You're going to be a dad for the first time, and you're not in the least bit nervous?"

Jack glanced at her. It was obvious that he wasn't. "No. Why're ya nervous?"

Did she honestly need to explain why?

"Because we're taking care of someone who's life is in our hands. What if we mess that up?"

He gave her a quizical look. "Love, this is Britney Spears in th' parentin' department." He raised one hand a few inches above the bed. "This'll be you -- er, us." He raised his other hand about a foot off the bed. "Any other words o' reassurance from Cap'n Jack?"

She had to smile at his attempt. "No, I'm alright."

"Good, I don't have much more to give you."

As soon as he had finished saying that, she felt another contraction. Melissa noticed that they had slowly become progressively stronger and closer together, even though they had been going on for two hours only. She began to realize why women were always screaming in movies while they were giving birth -- she tried to imagine a contraction ten times worse than this when actually giving birth.

"Contraction," she said, after she saw Jack's confused face.

"Ya look like this." At that, he mimicked what must have been her face -- eyes closed with a slightly scrunched-up face.

"It's a contraction, can't you shut up?"

At least she had an excuse to snap at him now.

"Even when ye're feelin' one o' those nasty things, ya still don't 'ave th' 'eart t' use a sailor's mouth with me."

Over a contraction at the beginning? No. Over actually delivering the baby when she was dialated at ten centimeters? Oh, yes.

"I assure you, you'll hear something along those lines today."

* * *

The hours ticked by. Jack could confidently say that he wasn't scared for the day that lay ahead of him. It was just another person joining their family -- it wasn't so much different than when he had unexpectedly joined Melissa. 

The only thing that bothered him was when the contractions came. They obviously were hurting her (which was mostly his fault, he thought wryly). He feared for when true contractions and labor would kick in -- she'd be screaming and he'd be going to the emergency room afterwards to have the bones in his hands put back in place.

As a joke, he flipped the television to the Disney Channel, which was starting to run a 4:30 AM episode of _The Little Mermaid_. Immediately, Melissa snatched the remote from him with a don't-you-_dare_-mess-with-me look plastered onto her face. Her blue eyes were sharper than the thinnest ice, and lips were pursed angrily.

"I'm going to watch that for the next six years, I don't need to watch it the day I'm going into labor!" She changed it to MTV, which was running _True Life_.

He was becoming afraid with how upset she was getting over everything. Never had he seen her this angry. He had a feeling that anger was stemming from fear.

She took a deep breath. "Relax. Relax."

She reached for her Sudoku puzzle, and then stopped suddenly, her blue eyes growing wide. Was it another contraction?

"Jack," she said, "I think my water just broke."

Wonderful. It would be superbly helpful if he had paid attention in birthing class and remembered what What to Expect When You're Expecting said about this.

Just then, Melissa's cell phone started ringing. The Caller ID said that it was Kate and Will. It was wonderful they had to call at this very moment.

He answered it for her, his eyes drifting to the window. No light streamed through the curtains.

"What do ya do when th' water breaks?" he asked.

There was a few beats of silence. Jack could hear an announcement being made in the airport.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Mel's water broke 'n' she doesn't seem too comfortable."

"Shit!" Kate said. "Tell her to stay calm --"

"All evidence t' th' contrary."

"Just -- listen to me!" she said. "Tell her to stay calm. This can happen any time during the first stage, it does not mean you're going to have to deliver the baby at home."

_Good_, he thought. _Wouldn't want t' play th' role of midwife._

"We'll be there in fourty-five minutes, I swear. We'll drive you to the hospital and then Amy will be born. Are you telling Melissa any of this?"

"Should I?"

"Yes!" she snapped.

Jack lowered the phone and sighed. "Kate says t' stay calm 'n' that ya won't deliver yet. They'll be 'ere at 5:15."

Melissa nodded and drank some water.

"I played Telephone fer ya," he said.

"Great. Now go play Birth Partner."

With that she hung up. Melissa seemed to be trying to relax, but was failing.

"I want my mom," she said softly.

That was just one of the few things that he wasn't sure if she'd ever get back.

* * *

The doorbell rang at 5:14 AM. Jack was thankful that he didn't have to be alone with Melissa, who's water had broken fourty-five minutes ago and who's contractions were growing more intense. At least a woman -- despite the fact that she had not gone through labor yet -- could be of assistance. 

Eagerly, he answered the door to see an anxious Kate and a relaxed Will. He noticed that she was a brunette again, and she seemed to notice that he had drastically changed his hair.

"I like your hair," Kate said, entering the house with her suitcase.

"As do I like your's, dear Katherine," he grinned.

"How's she doing?"

Someone wasn't wasting time today.

"I do believe she's debatin' 'ow I'm goin' t' repay 'er for the pain she's feelin' today," Jack said.

"It wouldn't surprise me," she said absently, going up the stairs, leaving her suitcase with Will.

Will stayed behind with Jack in the foyer while he closed the door. He could hear Kate's footsteps.

"This is quite the eventful day," Will said.

Jack clasped his shoulder. "Ye ain't seen nothin' yet, lad."

Will looked a bit confused for a few moments until he said, "Shouldn't we be going up upstairs to see Melissa?"

"Trust me," Jack said, meeting his eyes. "Ya do _not_ want t' go up there."

* * *

Melissa felt nothing but relief when she saw her best friend come upstairs to her bedroom. She saw tears running down Kate's cheeks as she got closer and hugged her. Why was she crying? 

"Oh, my God," Kate said softly, sitting next to her on the bed and stroking Melissa's blonde hair. "How are you doing?"

"I'm scared and I hurt," Melissa answered honestly.

"As anyone would be," Kate said, wiping her tears away. "This is amazing, though. You're going to be a mom today!"

Yes, she was well aware that March 12, 2008 would be Amy's birthday. It was all she had thought about for the last six and a half hours.

"Yeah," Melissa said nervously.

"Don't say it like that!" Kate encouraged. "Melissa, if anyone can go through labor and become a mother to the spawn of Jack, it's you."

She had questioned her sanity for much of the pregnancy: who would get pregnant by Jack Sparrow? And if the child took after her father personality-wise in any way...Melissa became too nervous to think about that.

"Go through labor without an epidural, you mean," Melissa said.

Kate's green eyes stared at her, so long, in fact, that Melissa became a bit uncomfortable.

"You're crazy," Kate said.

"I have a fear of needles," she said, trying to justify it. "Plus, I don't want Amy drugged out when she enters the world."

"Your pain," Kate said, unconvinced.

She was thankful for Kate not pointing out why exactly she was doing the dumbest thing she could do during labor. Any other day, she would.

"You call Dr. Anderson yet?" Kate reminded.

"Yeah," Melissa replied. "She said to call her when my contractions are fourty-five seconds to a minute long with three to five minute rests."

"And what are they at right now?" Kate asked.

"A little longer than thirty seconds with about ten minute's rests."

Kate nodded and went up to lay next to Melissa, via the foot of the bed.

"You're supposed to suggest activities that will distract me," Melissa reminded.

"And what has Jack done to distract you?" Kate asked.

"We talked. I did some Sudoku puzzles. He flipped to _The Little Mermaid_ fourty-five minutes ago."

"_Not_ the thing to watch today," she pointed out.

"No. No, it's really not. So I took the remote from him and changed it to the first thing I could think of."

"And that was...?"

"_True Life_."

Oh, great. A contraction.

"Your hair's brown again," Melissa said, trying to distract herself.

"Melissa?" Kate asked. "Are you alright?"

She did not want her best friend to see her weak in the midst of a contraction. She would distract herself however she could.

"You never were a good blonde," she continued. "You're assertive. Blondes like me are stereotypically naive. As you well know, I fulfill that stereotype. Like my morning sickness. Remember how I mistaked that for food poisoning? Oh, and how you got mad at me for not telling you that I was pregnant? Well, I really couldn't, because you were so busy eloping and that would have sent you over the edge. And don't say no because I know you, Kate. Plus, if I miscarried, no one would have known that I was pregnant and I could have gone on with my life. Except I would have told you. You're about the only one that I could have trusted."

There was a pause before Melissa realized that the contractions were done. The entire time, she was talking about...what? She hadn't done that when she had a contraction with Jack. Melissa knew it was the nerves, mixed with having her friend see how awful she looked while she was having a contraction.

"Do they really hurt?" Kate asked.

"The contractions?" she asked. "I suppose they're an inconvenience --"

"Which means that you know that today is going to be sheer hell for you."

* * *

After talking to Kate for a while upstairs, she and Melissa came downstairs (waddled, would be more correct, like she had for the past month or two) to have some breakfast. Jack made omlettes for the group as the sun rose. The television was on with the morning news. 

"Cloudy skies for most of the metro," Jack heard the weatherman say. "Sunshine's not too likely, clouds are going to be thick. A high of thirty-five with a low of twenty-five."

Yes, but what really mattered right now was the traffic. Anywhere from 7:00 to 11:00 this morning would be the time Kate or Will would need to drive to the hospital.

"Looks like Highway 610 is backed up," the traffic reporter said.

Just their luck. That was the road they had to take to the hospital. Jack had worked so hard to find the fastest route -- all thanks to Amy for starting to decide she wanted to come out at 11:00 last night!

Around 7:30, Melissa let out a gasp and winced as they were watching the news. Jack turned to look at her as she was looking at the clock on top of the television.

"It's been three minutes since my last contraction," she said.

If he had remembered what the baby books and birthing class said about this, he would know what exactly she meant. He turned to look at Kate, who he had a feeling he would know. Those two had been exchanging information over e-mail for months -- Melissa seemed to just _know_ that he wouldn't have a clue what to do.

"You're probably going into the active labor phase," Kate said, looking at Jack, then training her focus on Melissa. "How long did your contraction last?"

"Fifty seconds, a minute..." Melissa said. "Longer than before."

That wasn't good, was it?

"It's time to get you to the hospital," Kate said.

Melissa nodded, obviously trying to accept the news, but not fully. "Right. The hospital."

Five...four...three...two...

"I'm really scared, you guys," Melissa said.

How did he know?

"Going to the hospital means that I have to actually have the kid finally and I don't think I'm ready," she said.

Oh, bugger, please no waterworks.

"Melissa, you can do this," Kate reassured. "We'll focus on breathing when the contractions come."

He was surprised at how naturally the mothering thing came to Kate. She could be assertive, but she was good in stressful situations. Then again, Jack thought he was, too -- just not one where his pregnant former-lover was about to have their love child.

Kate stood up. "Jack, why don't you get the bag? Us three will head out to the car."

As Jack did as he was told in the fear of being screamed at by one of the two banshees, he realized he was about as prepared for parenthood as Melissa was.

* * *

Melissa's car keys jingled in Kate's hands. She unlocked the door, a chirp echoing in the cold garage. Kate began to go for the front seat, but Will stopped her by taking the keys. 

"You and Jack are all the support that she has right now," Will said.

"You haven't driven for months," Kate reminded.

"Neither have you."

Kate knew that his tone was meant to not be argued with. She knew that he knew Melissa needed her right now more than driving. Will could manage, and one of the three could give him directions.

Nodding, she handed him the car keys and got in the passenger seat. She turned around to face Melissa.

"Doing good?" she asked.

She nodded. "Uh-huh. Yep."

_That's the spirit!_ Kate thought.

Shortly thereafter, Jack came into the backseat with the bag.

"Ready?" Will asked everyone.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Melissa said.

Will started the engine and pressed the button to open the garage door.

"I'm calling Dr. Anderson," Melissa said. "I'm guessing we'll be at the hospital in about half an hour, thanks to rush hour."

Melissa called Dr. Anderson. Kate could hear the relief in her voice as she talked to her, then the tensing of her voice of a contraction. In the very back of her mind, she wondered how this scenario would be different when Melissa had another child of her own someday, or even when it was her and Will's turn to have a child.

Afterwards, Jack called Target to say that Melissa (he must have talked about this with his boss beforehand) was having the baby. It sounded to her like they didn't object.

After another few minutes on the road and a silence, Jack started to speak.

"Katie," he began. "I really couldn't 'elp but buy yer copy o' _Vogue_. Ya know, just as a keepsake."

Oh, God. Only _he_ could bring that _Vogue_ shoot up at a time like this.

"I don't think now is the best time," Kate said.

While she was turned around, Kate could see Melissa going through another contraction. Her hand on the bottom of her stomach, and it was clear that she was in pain. She seemed to be trying to focus on something other than the pain.

"Sure it is," Jack said nonchalantly. "Truth be told, I though th' pictures were somethin' extraordinary. Th' woman in it completed it, though --"

"Shut up!" Melissa roared.

The car fell silent. Melissa chest was heaving up and down, most likely from a combination of anger and stress. At a loss of what to do or say, Kate said, "Let's focus on your breathing."

Melissa closed her eyes. It started to nearly hurt Kate to see that she was in such pain.

"Take a big sigh," she said. "Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Like when we used to have to do the mile run in Gym. Remember that, Melissa?"

She nodded "yes", then looked at Jack.

"'Ow do ya _know_ this?" he asked.

"Shh. Quiter. We need this to be as quiet and stressless as possible."

After a few moments of silence, Melissa sighed and and exchanged glances between Kate and Jack.

"Thank you," she said.

* * *

After the group arrived at the hospital at 8:00, Melissa was checked in and was given a room. A male nurse went to register them. 

"Who're ye?" Jack asked the male nurse.

"I'm going to be the nurse," the man smiled.

Jack only rolled his eyes. Melissa had a feeling he was thinking about something that involved the words "whelp" or "eunuch".

She was changed into a hospital gown, while Jack, Kate, and Will were given hospital scrubs. Melissa began to worry less and less about what tomorrow would bring and the fact that her parents weren't here, but more on the pain. The contractions were beginning to be horrible.

As she lay on her side in the hospital bed, she tried to distract herself from the contractions. She focused on how ridiculous Jack looked in hospital scrubs. Although, she had to admit, he looked far funnier when he was in a tuxedo with his dreadlocks. She was sure she could appreciate him in scrubs more, were she not facing contractions and trying to remain calm.

Kate had started massaging her lower back. Melissa closed her eyes and tried to relax. She knew that she would need her strength and had gotten no sleep last night. She would put the stress behind her for five minutes and try to get a bit of sleep in.

* * *

Jack looked at Melissa, her eyes closed as she layed down on the bed. Kate was still massaging her lower back. 

"She's 'sleep now," Jack said to Kate.

Kate stopped massaging and leaned back in the chair that she was sitting in next to the bed. "Are you scared?"

Why was it women that were always asking him if he was scared? He was beginning to think he should act scared just because.

"No," he said.

"Why?"

And there was the ever-puzzling question.

"Your daughter's going to be born in a few hours, and you're not even a _little_ nervous?"

Should he be yet?

"Uh...no?" she said.

"Even I would be," Will piped up.

"What a surprise!" Jack said. "Th' Whelp -- afraid o' somethin'!"

"Birth is terrifying for anyone," Kate said. "Your life will never be the same, and you don't know if that baby's going to take it's next breath or not."

Like his life was the same after he time-traveled. He had adjusted, even if it did take longer than what some would expect. He had a feeling that's how fatherhood would go.

* * *

At about 10:45, Melissa could feel her contractions getting even worse. The nurse had said that she had now dialeted past eight centimeters and was almost at nine. 

"One contraction at a time," Kate said, taking her hand.

Contractions were like the worst cramp she had ever felt. They were long and intense, and something she didn't wish on any living soul. She was regretting not taking the pain relievers now.

She would tighten her grip on Jack and Kate's hand. She was thankful for her support system, as small as it was.

An hour went by. The contractions got even worse (Melissa began to wonder how much worse they could get now). She was now fully dialated to ten centimeters and was pushing. The pain in pushing felt like nothing compared to the contractions.

"God!" Melissa said. "Holy shit! Oh, shit, this really hurts!"

Melissa didn't care that she said. Those words couldn't begin to summarize the pain that she was feeling.

Dr. Anderson, who was at the foot of the bed, looked up. "I see we're well on our way."

What was _that_ supposed to mean?!

Melissa knew she couldn't go through birth without the epidural. She wasn't sure what would happen otherwise -- she would go mad, she'd scream so loud she would permanently lose her voice, or, worse yet, she would never want to even look at a man again!

"I want the epidural!" Melissa said to Dr. Anderson. "Okay? I want the epidural!"

"Give it to her," Kate seconded calmly. "Give her the epidural, okay?"

"Okay?" Melissa asked, worried that she hadn't gotten a response.

"Just give it to her," Jack said.

"Melissa, we're past the point of an epidural," Dr. Anderson said, slightly annoyed. "The cervix is fully dialated."

If she could cry, Melissa Lewes would be in a fit of tears right now. She would overcome her fear of needles to have the spinal block. The needle would just go in and out, right? Plus, she wouldn't have to even see it go in, despite that it would hurt like nothing else.

"No, I want an epidural! I know there's time!"

"We can't give you the epidural!"

She sounded just a bit more annoyed than before. Too bad -- she wanted the pain killer!

"Take the time. I'll make sure it doesn't come out! I'll stop pushing."

"We have time," Jack said.

She gave thanks to whatever God made Jack say that in her defense.

"I'll stop, oh, please, please, please, please!" Melissa begged.

"Just do it! Please!" Kate insisted.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Anderson said soothingly. "We have no time. We're going to just have to do this the all natural way, alright. The way you wanted to. Alright? Ready, honey?"

No. Melissa was not ready. She was going to be a mother at eighteen and was fully unprepared for the journey that lay ahead of her. She could just _maybe_ make it through the birth if she could have an epidural -- she was sure she couldn't do it without.

Why did she have to wimp out?

"Okay," Melissa whimpered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Melissa saw the male nurse check a machine that kept track of her contractions. He said something to Dr. Anderson that she couldn't understand.

"Here comes another contraction," she said to Melissa. "I want you to push. Ready?"

Pushing, Melissa started screaming and gripping Jack and Kate's hands. She could see Jack starting to bend over in pain.

"Want t' lighten up there, Mel?" Jack asked.

"Shut up or get out!" she roared at him.

She didn't care that she had snapped. Jack could have been a little more considerate -- she was the one feeling the contractions, and _he_ was telling _her_ to lessen his pain?

"Good, good, good," Dr. Anderson coached.

She could start to feel Amy ready to leave her. Melissa wanted this over with so badly.

_God, this hurts!_ she screamed mentally.

"You're doing wonderful!" Will coached from Melissa's right side, standing next to Kate.

"I feel everything!" she responded. "Oh, my God! It's happening!"

The male nurse stood at the foot of the bed with Dr. Anderson. "Maybe we can take it down a little," he suggested gently. "I think you'll scare the other pregnant women."

He was a man, he would never know what it felt like. She would scream all she wanted -- she was having a child without an epidural!

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Melissa yelled at him. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

She could see all five of them jumping as she yelled that. She couldn't focus on their reactions, but she was sure that it was mildly horrifying, that having come from her.

"It's crowning!" Dr. Anderson said. "I'm seeing the head!"

Jack had to see their baby being born. He had a strong stomach, he could take it.

"Oh, God," Melissa said, feeling a burning sensation now that was nothing short of Hell. "Jack, what does it look like?"

* * *

Melissa really was asking Jack to see what their child looked like? He didn't want to see it! He had seen birthing videos and those had made him feel sick. Besides, once you had seen one baby born, you'd seen them all, right? 

But Melissa, who's blonde hair was tied back with loose ends sticking to her forehead, was clearly not in a mood to argue. She had already proved that when he asked her to lighten up with her squeezing his hands. Right now, it was best to do what she said, which was something he had trouble doing for anyone, much less a woman in labor.

He looked to see his daughter coming out. Jack had never been more thankful that the whelp had listened to Melissa and didn't bring a camcorder, for it was something he never wished to see again.

"Oh, bugger," Jack said, still looking at the baby.

"What?" Melissa asked.

"Ya don't want t' see it," Jack said, returning to her side. Ya don't want --"

"No, I want to see it."

"It's beautiful," Jack lied.

_If yer definition o' beautiful is blood 'n' a 'uman comin' out o' a 'uman, then yes, it's the most beautiful thing in th' world_, he thought.

"Ya don't want t', though."

Seeing their baby would send her over the edge. Jack knew a thing or two about Melissa, and it was that she had a weak stomach. She couldn't watch _Live Free or Die Hard_ without covering her eyes.

"No, I want to see..."

* * *

Melissa had been taught in birthing class that seeing your baby crowning could be very encouraging. The instructor had said that it could give you that extra motivation to push when you felt that you couldn't anymore. 

And right now, Melissa Lewes needed all of the encouragement she could get with the birth.

The male nurse held up a salon-size mirror with a green handle to have her see Amy. Despite the fact that it was her first time seeing her daughter, she couldn't have him put it down fast enough.

"...it," Melissa said weakly. "Oh, God! Oh, God!"

She felt nauseous just seeing it. Why did people think a tactic like that would be helpful?

"We're almost done!" Dr. Anderson said. "One, two, three, push."

Melissa pushed. She wanted the birth to be done. This had been going on for fourteen hours and she was, in every sense of the word, exhausted. She was drained mentally by being pushed to her physical limits -- especially now that she felt like she had nothing left.

"You've pushed past the shoulders," Dr. Anderson.

_Thank you, God_, Melissa thought.

"One more big push."

One more push. That was all it would take to have her daughter be born and her life to never be the same.

She felt an eerie calm surround her through the pain. After nine months, she was ready to have life be changed. She was ready to have Amy be brought into the world.

Melissa pushed. She could hear the crying of someone that was not her own. It was a baby -- their's. Amy Pearl.

"Oh, Jack," she said, leaning back, exhausted. "I did it."

"Ya did it," he said.

Melissa had never felt more accomplished in her life. She had spent fourteen hours of Hell to get to one pure, golden moment of Heaven. Even though it was like nothing she had ever felt before, she would repeat the past nine months again in a heartbeat.

"It's out," she smiled.

"You did it," Kate said hugging her. Weakly, Melissa put an arm around Kate. "Oh, my God, you did it."

"Congratulations, you two," Dr. Anderson said, Melissa the child. "It's a beautiful baby girl."

Tears collected in her eyes as she stared at her -- _her_ -- child. She was amazed. That was her and Jack.

"You did great," Dr. Anderson said. "You were amazing."

This was the Amy she had been so terrified to have. This was the baby that made her and her parents go their seperate ways.

This was the baby that made Melissa realize she still loved Jack. She realized, as Amy lay in her arms, that she had never stopped loving him. Melissa felt like this baby was the link between them that had been missing all these months.

She felt completed.

* * *

The moment Jack saw Amy for the first time, he wasn't sure what to do. She had been wiped down, but not completely cleaned. Melissa was teary-eyed and touching their daughter for the first time. He, however, just wanted to hold his firstborn child. 

He was surprised that half of that child was him. She had inherited his brown hair, but the eyes were yet to be discovered what color they would be. He wondered if Amy would have his chocolate brown eyes, or her mother's light blue eyes.

"Pretty baby," Melissa said softly.

Jack took a seat on the edge of the bed as he looked at Amy's tiny body. How could it be possible that someone started out so small, and that just a few minutes ago, she was still inside Melissa?

"Amy looks like her daddy," she said. "She's got your hair."

"Maybe it'll be in dreadlocks someday," he joked.

"Don't even try," she laughed.

He felt an even stronger bond between the two of them. It wasn't the bond of love that Kate and Will had shared. It was the bond of I'll-always-be-there-for-you that Kate and Melissa shared.

He didn't mind that, either.

"Oh, my God," Kate said, coming over to Jack's side. "My goodness. She's beautiful."

He was surprised to feel Kate's embrace around him.

"I love you, Jack."

It took a baby to bury the hatchet?

"Love ya, too, Katie."

* * *

After the placenta was delivered and Amy was cleaned, Melissa held her again. Now she was wrapped in a pink blanket.. Will took some pictures while Melissa was still awake. He got a few of both of the parents holding Amy (Kate had commented that she loved the fatherly grin on his face) and a few of them together. 

Both of the new parents were asleep. Will was starting to feel tired, but he had slept on the plane, along with Kate, so they had been able to maintain their energy to coach Melissa throught the birth.

"She's adorable," Kate said. "She looks just like her father."

"I think she rather looks like Melissa," Will said.

Amy had the same hair and eye color as Jack. Will could only wonder how else she would look like him.

"It makes me want one of our own," she said softly.

He knew they would find out someday, however long the wait it may be for both of them.

* * *

At around 4:00, Will and Kate left to go home. They asked Jack if he was going to come with, but he declined and said that he would stay at the hospital for the evening to keep an eye on Melissa. 

Of course Jack knew they had nurses for that. He wasn't about to spend his daughter's first night on Earth away from her.

The clock read 7:47. Amy Pearl was exactly seven hours old.

He went to pick her up from where she was sleeping in the room. He was pleased to see that his daughter had the same hair and eyes.

Someday her hair _would_ be in dreadlocks -- even though Melissa would be screaming at him the weekend she returned from dear old Dad's house sixteen years in the future.

"Want t' know 'ow ya came t' be, love?" Jack asked.

No response from Amy. He guessed that meant a yes.

"Well, it's a rather debatable topic. It could've been yer mum's first time, the second time, or the time she got drunk. Me? I think it was 'er first time. What do I know, though? Yer mum probably knows."

No response from Amy.

Jack proceeded to tell the story of 7/7/07, including that Melissa said that there was a spider in her room and that he wanted to kill it. Trying to edit the version for his seven-hour-old daughter's ears, he said that he saw her in the same outfit that they first met in, and that there was no spider at all. He explained how she would not make a child -- he had to edit this for his daughter -- without him saying that he loved her.

"'N' then Daddy said, 'I love ya more than rum', which Mummy took literally, because she loved Daddy and, er...wanted a child very much. Now, Daddy had ne'er said that to a woman before. 'N' ya know why he said that?"

No response.

"He, uh, wanted...a child badly."

He paused and looked at his daughter's shut eyes. She wasn't heavy or light, the perfect weight for a newborn.

"Don't tell Mummy, but it was th' smartest thing I e'er said, because now ye're 'ere."

Bugger, he was going soft. He was doing what a pirate would never do.

"I mean, because ye'll 'ave t' 'ear th' story o' Smithy someday," he said, scrambling to find an excuse. "Smithy's a story fer a different day, though. One for a day where Mummy didn't talk like a sailor t' me."


	67. Wish

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Wish

**I do not own "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts. It was too perfect of a song to pass up, though.**

**Sorry for the short chapter, by the way.

* * *

**The next morning, Melissa and Jack woke up in their hospital room. He had surprised her -- she thought that he would be at home. He had spent the night on a hospital chair; his muscles must have been aching.

"Mornin', Mum," he playfully called her.

"Morning, Dad," she grinned.

Jack had offered to go get McDonalds for breakfast. Even though she knew that wasn't what she needed the first day of giving birth, it was the thought that counted. Jack wanted to do something for her. With a smile creeping on her lips, she accepted.

While he was out getting the breakfast, she went to hold Amy. She was sore, but considerably less than when she was in labor. Melissa would not complain about her mild soreness.

She wondered how she had slept so soundly through the night with their child being in the room with them. She guessed that one of the nurses (she prayed it wasn't the male nurse who told her to stop screaming when she was crowning) had taken her overnight to have her rest and make sure she was doing alright.

It was nothing short of a blessing to be able to hold her own child. This was her's. She loved this little girl that had entered the world twenty hours ago.

_Don't grow up_, she thought. _Don't ever grow up._

Melissa was convinced this tiny human being never would. This child would be the exception to the rule and would never grow up.

"Please tell me that your daddy didn't tell you the story of Smithy," she said softly. "I'm not sure that's the first story that I want you to hear."

_Although he'll tell you it as a bedtime story one day or another_, she thought.

Melissa heard the door click open and turned to see not only Jack's face, but Kate and Will's also. Surprised to see three faces, Melissa smiled.

"We apologize for short notice," Will said to Melissa. "Kate and I couldn't bear to be apart from you three for long. We agreed that we would come first thing in the morning."

Kate, who obviously wasn't sorry for the short notice, went to hug Melissa. "How are you doing today?"

"A lot better than yesterday," she smirked.

She was sure that Jack and Kate were talking about Melissa's choice of words yesterday while they met in either the lobby or elevator. Will had most likely stayed out of the conversation (she really couldn't see him saying anything about the language).

"And how's the little one?" she cooed, going behind Melissa to get a better look of Amy.

"Our daughter is doing wonderful," she said, looking at Jack.

Our daughter. It still felt bizarre to say that she had a daughter.

"She looks so much like her father," Will said.

"She does." Jack grinned at what could only be described as a proud-papa moment. It was clear he was more than pleased to see that his child resembled him already. "'Opefully start t' act like 'im, too."

Melissa laughed. "I should worry for what weekends at your house will be like in years to come."

* * *

While Kate and Will went to go get some lunch at the Subway across the street, Jack and Melissa went to go fill out the birth certificate for Amy. Jack held the Social Security cards in his hands as they walked together. 

"I want to take her with me," Melissa said.

Melissa had constantly looked at their new child while they were in the room. Jack knew that she was going to be happy to be home and hold her whenever she wanted. Jack imagined Amy being downstairs while he was making dinner and Melissa was doing her schoolwork for college.

He was thankful that Mr. Lewes had signed over her college fund to Melissa when she was eighteen, otherwise she would never be able to go to college. Being a veterinarian was something he knew that she wanted to do with her life, and he was glad that she would be able to, even if they had a baby when she was young. They would just have to find a daycare provider -- or a neighbor that would be willing to do it for free of charge. He would have to try to pursuade their neighbor, Janice, someday.

The two started filling out Amy's birth certificate. Date of birth was, obviously, March 12. The time of her birth was 12:47 PM.

"Alright," Jack said. "Name. Ya sure ya don't want t' change the name? Pearl, perhaps?"

"I do, actually," she said.

He wanted to really name her child Pearl after all the arguments they had? Or -- no! -- Audrey?

"Amy Pearl Sparrow," she said.

Not many things surprised Jack, but this did. She had been so defiant about having the baby be named after the mother. After all this time, plus having an explosive fight about it, she decided to change the daughter's last name to his?

"She would love to have her father's last name."

Jack wasn't a fool. He knew that by asking if Amy could have his last name, she was saying that she still loved him.

He held her as a friend and knew that they would keep in touch for the rest of their years, but he didn't love her like she loved him. She was a good person to be around, but he could never be tied down with one woman. Bugger, he only said that he loved her more than rum (which he never meant) so that he could bed her.

But he was more than happy for his daughter to take his last name.

"Then 'ave it, she shall."

* * *

On March 14, Melissa and Amy were released from the hospital at 10:00. The family sat in the back seat, while Will and Kate were in the front. Melissa's eyes couldn't be torn away from Amy. Will was driving slower since there was now a child in the car. Jack had to smile at how cautious he was being. 

"Normally I'd yell at ya fer drivin' so slow, William," Jack said.

"I'm taking your child into consideration," he said. "You shouldn't."

The Whelp never would understand sarcasm or jokes.

"Amy Sparrow, ya mean," Jack corrected.

"Wh--" Kate said, turning around to look at Melissa.

So he had let the cat out of the bag, eh? Then Melissa _hadn't_ told Kate about the name change ahead of time. Jack wondered how long Melissa had wanted to have her a daughter be a Sparrow instead of a Lewes.

Melissa gave Kate a look that said Jack knew all too well: "We'll talk later."

* * *

For the first time in eight months, Melissa layed on her stomach as she slept. It was something she had taken for granted all these months. 

She was glad to have her body back to herself now, but she missed not placing a hand on her stomach and feeling Amy kicking as she fell asleep. Melissa was now in the nursery, next to Kate and Will's room. She smiled to herself as she saw that their door was closed as she went up to sleep. Melissa guessed that the four of them would all look identical the next morning: baggy-eyed and hovering around the coffee pot.

She could hear Amy crying down the hall. Melissa stirred and saw that Jack was sleeping through it.

"Don't hesitate, Jack," she muttered, getting up and going down the hall to Amy's room.

She looked at the crying three-day-old in the crib. Melissa picked her up and began to run a hand up and down her back, holding her daughter close to her.

"Shhh," she said. "Mommy's here, Amy."

That did little to help the crying. Amy didn't seem like she had a dirty diaper. Melissa decided to try and get her back to sleep first, then see if she was hungry.

This was the first time that she had been woken up by Amy in the house. It was going to be exhausting, she knew, but it was an experience that she would cherish forever.

She looked at the radio illuminated by the moonlight. Melissa realized that her _Miracle_ CD was downstairs.

"Looks like you won't get to hear Celine Dion until tomorrow, Amy," Melissa said softly to her. "You'd like her. She has a wonderful voice. She sang a song for a movie. _Titanic_. You can watch it someday."

Quickly, she remembered the racy scenes in there not appropriate for a young one.

"When you're older," she corrected. "You'll be able to understand what it means to let someone back into the ocean, anyway." She paused. "Your daddy was in a movie, once. Three movies, actually. He sure was the star of them."

Amy never had to know that her father had time traveled. As long as she never asked, Melissa didn't see the need to tell.

She turned on the radio. Melissa remembered it was on the local country station from when she folded clothes.

The intro to Rascal Flatts's "My Wish" started softly playing. Melissa realized how perfect this song was for Amy as she sat down in the rocker.

"Listen to this song, Amy," she said. "It's what Mommy wants for you."

_I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,_

_And each road leads you where you want to go,_

_And if you're faced with the choice, and you have to choose,_

_I hope you choose the one that means the most to you._

_And if one door opens to another door closed,_

_I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,_

_If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile._

_But more than anything, more than anything,_

_My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to,_

_Your dreams stay big and your worries stay small,_

_You never need to carry more than you can hold,_

_And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,_

_I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things, too,_

_Yeah, this is my wish._

_I hope you never look back, but you never forget,_

_All the ones who love you, in the place you left,_

_I hope you always forgive and you never regret,_

_And you help somebody every chance you get,_

_Oh, you find God's grace in every mistake,_

_And you always give more than you take._

_But more than anything, yeah, more than anything,_

_My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to,_

_Your dreams stay big and your worries stay small,_

_You never need to carry more than you can hold,_

_And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,_

_I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things, too,_

_Yeah, this is my wish._

_My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to,_

_Your dreams stay big and your worries stay small,_

_You never need to carry more than you can hold,_

_And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,_

_I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things, too,_

_Yeah, this is my wish._

_This is my wish._

_This is my wish_

_I hope you know somebody loves you_

_May all your dreams stay big._

Melissa couldn't help but smile as she realized the meaning of that song to her now as her daughter now lay sleeping angelically in her arms. That really was all that she wanted for her daughter, and all she could pray was that Amy would recieve it.

* * *

**I'm sad to say that we're nearing the end, folks. One or two more chapters left. Enjoy it while you can!**


	68. A Lone Candle

Chapter Sixty-Eight

A Lone Candle

**Another short chapter. Apologies.

* * *

**

The Turners left on Sunday for New York. Bleary-eye, they bid each other goodbye as the two took a taxi to the airport. As much as Jack cared for his daughter, she was quickly exhausting him (he was more surprised than anyone when he found himself drinking coffee in the morning to stay alert). Amy needed constant attention, something that was no easy task, especially in the night. He would hear Amy crying at night, and when Melissa had wanted to sleep, she said, "Jack?"

He laid in bed, not wanting to get up. Melissa always seemed to get Amy back to sleep quicker.

Melissa would start to kick him. "Jack, I know you're awake."

_Well, I bloody am now!_ he thought.

"Ye're gonna give me a bruise!" he said.

"If you don't want a bruise, get up."

Defeated, he got out of bed and stumbled into Amy's dark room. In his sleep-deprived state, he remembered that Melissa didn't want him turning the overhead light on. She thought that the transition between dark and sudden light would frighten her and/or damage her eyes. He didn't see the point, though.

"'Cause ye're mum's so stubborn..." Jack said, flicking the lamp, showering the room with dim light. He then went to go pick up Amy, who was crying loudy. "There, there," he said, awkwardly patting her back.

That did little to help. Why couldn't Melissa do this? Amy would be out like a light.

Jack hit the "play" button on the CD player, which had Mozart in it. Melissa swore that babies became smarter if they listened to Mozart. She had rather odd theories on children and what was beneficial for them, he thought.

Jack went to go sit on the rocker, holding Amy. He was fed up with not getting much sleep. Silently, he wondered how much longer it would be until he could get a full night's sleep.

"Ya know what ya remind me o'?" Jack asked. "A really _big_ storm. It keeps e'eryone up and e'eryone wants it t' end."

Amy continued to cry.

"Yes, ye're 'wake," Jack said, about the crying. "I know that, ya know that. 'Ow 'bout ya just get back t' sleep?"

Apparently, that was not in Amy's plans for the evening. Frustrated, Jack sighed.

"Do I 'ave to tell ya a 'nother story?" he asked.

When Amy's crying decreased slightly, he said, "Ah, wonderful. I'll take that as a 'yes', love. Now, which one would ya like t' hear? 'Ow I got th' Pearl back? Or 'ow I went 'untin' fer..." he gasped to try to get her attention and intrigue her, and said in an enthralled voice, "th' Dead Man's Chest? Or, I could tell ya 'ow I escaped from th' Locker."

No response.

"Tough crowd," he said. "No complainin', ya get th' first one. Well...once upon a time, there was a handsome pirate that sailed the seas without a fear or care in th' world. 'E was one o' the fiercest pirates in th' whole wo'ld. 'Is name was Cap'n Jack Sparrow. One day..."

* * *

A month had passed. Jack was surprised that they hadn't fought the entire time that Amy had came into the world. He began to think that the impossible was happening: he and Melissa really could live together in harmony. 

Melissa had started to lose the weight she gained from Amy quickly. With exercising, breastfeeding, and eating right, he guessed that she was down ten pounds since the birth. Each evening that he came home from work, she would put Amy in his care for half an hour and jog around the area.

"Someone's birthday's comin' up soon," Jack said to Melissa.

Melissa was laying on the floor next to Amy. Jack was on the sofa, half watching a rerun of _CSI: Miami_ and half watching her and Melissa.

"Yes, but someone's one month old tomorrow," Melissa cooed to Amy. Her brown eyes became intently fixated upon her mother.

_Amy is a person_, he thought, _must ya talk t' it like ya would t' a dog?_

"You're getting so big!" she smiled. "Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

How Melissa talked to their child irritated him. He could only wonder how her future husband would put up with her when she had a child with him.

"So are _you_," Jack teased.

Melissa turned her head to look at him. "Shut up," she said playfully, then diverted her attention back to Amy. "I'm going to be nineteen. Then the year after that, I'll be twenty."

"Then on yer twenty-first, we'll tuck Amy in early 'n' drink up."

"Stop!" Melissa said. "You're making me feel old!"

"If nineteen is old, then what's thirty-two, dearie?"

"At least you've aged gracefully."

_Gracefully?_ he thought.

"And by the way, no, I will not get drunk on my twenty-first birthday," Melissa said. "A hangover is not worth it. I'll have a drink or two, but no more than that."

"I promise I won't make love t' ya in th' laundry room --"

With that, a glare came. Without that night, it was a possibility that Amy never would have came to be. But he had a high suspicion that wasn't what the glare was about.

" -- or anywhere, fer that matter! We can just, uh...have a few drinks, chat 'bout ol' times...'ssumin' 'nother man 'asn't nabbed ya 'lready."

"Assuming," she hesistantly agreed.

* * *

A week had passed by. Melissa found it hard to believe that she was nineteen now. The year had gone by so fast. She knew that eighteen would be a life-changing year, but never in the way that she expected. She never imagined that her first year of adulthood would bring a love that tested her so with Jack and a child. Now that she reflected, she wouldn't have it any other way. 

At around 7:00, Melissa came downstairs from putting Amy to bed. The house was quiet as could be. The shades were drawn and the sun was just setting. She wondered why, with Jack home, it would be so quiet.

"Amy's asleep now," she said, sitting next to Jack on the couch.

"Splendid," Jack said, picking up a pack of matches resting on the coffee table in front of them. He struck one and lit a sole, pink candle that poked up from the chocolate frosting on the cupcake.

_Pink's my favorite color_, she thought. _You remembered._

He rested one arm on the back of the sofa and turned her body towards her.

_Jack Sparrow, what could you be doing?_ she wondered.

She crossed her legs as her body faced him. His brown eyes looked even darker in the glowing of the candle held between them.

"'Appy birthday, love," Jack said. "'N' many more."

Melissa could wish that her parents would realize that they had a beautiful grandchild that would melt their hearts. She could wish that Amy would never grow up.

As a child, Melissa always wished for things that she knew she could never have. When she was seven, she wished for a horse. When she was nine, she wished that she would see Santa Claus that Christmas. She realized that this year, she was still wishing for things that she would never have. That was the point of a wish: to want so badly for that wish to come true, that you would try to alter fate any way you can to get it.

In that moment, the truth was once again set as plainly in front of her as the glowing candle between them: Melissa still loved Jack.

_I wish for one moment_, she thought silently, looking into Jack's eyes,_ that you'll love me the way that I love you_.

Out went the candle.

Even now, Melissa Lewes was wishing for things that she knew she could never have.

* * *

**I promise that the final chapter will be up before the New Year!**

**Oh, and I have a new poll up. Hehe.**


	69. I'll Be Seeing You

Chapter Sixty-Nine

I'll Be Seeing You

**This is it! The last chapter! I'll talk at the end. For now, just enjoy the last of it.**

**Don't own the title of the chapter. If you've seen **_**The Notebook**_**, you know what I'm talking about.

* * *

**

Subject: Still Here!

Date: Sunday, May 31, 2008 1:17 PM EST

To: MrsTurner

From: Melrose

Ones as big as the moon. You have completely slipped my mind.

I would have slipped your mind, too, Kate, if you were ridiculously busy taking care of the most adorable eleven-week-old on the face of the Earth. What have you missed of your goddaughter, you ask?

She can lift her head when she's lying on her stomach! Jack and I are call her our sea turtle, because that's exactly what she reminded him of. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, but it stuck. I think he'll call her that when a boyfriend picks her up for the first date: "Take care o' my sea turtle!" Oh, the embarressment that will ensue in the following years for our child. I almost feel sorry for Amy Pearl.

We have a black-and-white mobile above her crib, and turn it on for her as I put her down each night. The look that she gets is simply precious. Her eyes get wide and they'll just follow it.

Really, she is _the_ most adorable baby anyone could ever ask for. She lights up my life so much. I have never felt so blessed to have someone apart of my life. Mommyhood is tough in the beginning, but I heartily recommend it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Speaking of which...can I expect a godchild in the near future? Come, now, you've been married for eight months! I want my godchild, darn it!

Yes, I know, I know, I have Amy. Word of advice for when you _do_ get pregnant: You can not prepare yourself for how awful morning sickness is, and, for goodness sake, have an epidural when you deliver your children.

Oh, and the sleep deprevation: do _not_ get me started. It's awful. Eye-burning, draining-every-ounce-of-energy awful. But it's all worth it to see Amy.

You will never guess what made me remember to send you an e-mail (I know, I'm absolutely awful: I haven't even responded to your's). I was going through my jewelry box and guess what I found? The medallion.

Did you remember that it's been a year to the day that we bought it? We bought them, around, what, 11:00? That means we were probably going into the old bookstore that smelled like feet just about now. I have never seen you so enthralled with a piece of jewelry before. You really couldn't keep your eyes off that thing. It's spooky, in retrospect. It's like we were almost called to it, that fate wanted us to take those medallions.

Maybe you and I can go to the same antique store and look around when you and Will come for Father's Day. Any other cursed pieces that could cause havoc in any way, shape, or form? I would be just a little frightened if they had the Dead Man's Chest there. I would run out of the store, dragging you behind me.

It's the sleep deprevation. It's awful. Eye-burning, draining-every-ounce-of-energy awful. But it's all worth it to see Amy.

See you on June 12, Kate.

Happy one year, by the way. Who only knows what year number two with these medallions will bring us.

Love,

Melissa

Jack

Amy

* * *

**Well, that's it.**

**Or...is it?**

**I must confess that I have a plot line that's been spewing in my head since the beginning of the first fic. If you all would like a third, I am more than willing to write one for you. I've already had a few ask, but I would like to hear what you have to say.**

**Alright, time to wrap it up. I want to thank my reviewers. They've kept me going. I appreciate you all more than you could ever know, and I mean that!**

**J. B. -- Thank you so much for all your help! I suppose I'm in a bit of debt to you, so if you need any help at all with anything...**

**Even if you've never left a review for this story, I would absolutely adore one from you -- yes, you! Press the pretty lavender button right there and type away!**

**I hope you all enjoyed it. It was daunting (good gracious, look at the word count!), but I'm quite satisfied with it. Again, thank you all for reading with it! I greatly appreciate it.**

**-- Kayley Taylor**


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